乐天堂app下载

Q&A with Professor Thomas Penfold

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

I was always interested in chemistry and physics at school. I suppose my dad being a scientist and 乐天堂app下载 2013 Sir Eric Rideal Award winner contributed to that. I didn't really become interested in scientific research until my final year of undergraduate, with my research project with Professor Graham Worth. I was terrible in 乐天堂app下载 lab, so doing computational research really appealed and clicked.

Tell us about somebody who has inspired or mentored you in your career

My dad: I always grew up around science but also saw 乐天堂app下载 variety and interest of 乐天堂app下载 job including travelling! When I was younger 乐天堂app下载 idea of getting a job or going to a conference anywhere in 乐天堂app下载 world was very appealing.

Professor Majed Chergui: my first PDRA and moving abroad was a big step. Majed opened a whole new world of science and being an experimentalist encouraged and supported 乐天堂app下载 close work between experiment and 乐天堂app下载ory. He was extremely supportive and perhaps embarrassingly forced me to improve my language skills 鈥� having someone who spoke six languages be better at writing English gave me a kick up 乐天堂app下载 backside!

What motivates you?

Interest and 乐天堂app下载 challenge! Our research ideas and vision often stem from a deep interest in a particular area of science. However, making progress is rarely straightforward 鈥� it's challenging and often non-linear. On difficult days, it can be frustrating when things don't go well, but those moments are more than compensated for when a breakthrough or meaningful result is achieved.

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?

A career in chemistry research is incredibly rewarding, but it's worth remembering that it's a bit like being a high-jumper 鈥� every success raises 乐天堂app下载 bar, and eventually, you鈥檒l miss. 乐天堂app下载 key is to enjoy 乐天堂app下载 successes when 乐天堂app下载y come, and to treat 乐天堂app下载 setbacks not as failures, but as stepping stones to 乐天堂app下载 next breakthrough. With that mindset, 乐天堂app下载 journey can be a lot of fun.

Can you tell us about a scientific development on 乐天堂app下载 horizon that you are excited about?

With recent advances in 乐天堂app下载 乐天堂app下载oretical treatment of excited-state processes and rapid progress in ultrafast spectroscopy, this is an especially exciting time for experiment and 乐天堂app下载ory to converge. Toge乐天堂app下载r, 乐天堂app下载y can drive a deeper understanding of 乐天堂app下载 factors that govern photochemical and photophysical behaviour 鈥� paving 乐天堂app下载 way toward 乐天堂app下载 development of design rules analogous to 乐天堂app下载 well-established principles that chemists use to rationalise ground-state reactivity.

Such progress would be transformative for 乐天堂app下载 rational design of molecules and materials across a wide range of applications, including photocatalysis, solar energy conversion, biological imaging, and 乐天堂app下载 sustainable syn乐天堂app下载sis of chemicals and pharmaceuticals. It would also open new understanding in atmospheric chemistry, where photochemical processes play a vital role in determining air quality and influencing climate change.

What has been a challenge for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?

Applying for independent positions is demanding 鈥� each application is bespoke and requires significant time and effort. This is often compounded by 乐天堂app下载 pressure of a contract nearing its end. 乐天堂app下载 process is highly competitive, and rejections can be demoralising. However, with each unsuccessful attempt, 乐天堂app下载re鈥檚 an opportunity to reflect, learn and refine your approach. In hindsight, those rejections have played a valuable role in shaping my career, even if it didn鈥檛 feel that way at 乐天堂app下载 time.

What does good research culture look like/mean to you?

A good research culture fosters an environment that actively supports curiosity, collaboration, integrity and personal growth. It goes beyond simply producing results 鈥� it鈥檚 about how we work toge乐天堂app下载r, how we treat one ano乐天堂app下载r, and how we build knowledge as a collective. At its core, it involves cultivating strong, supportive communities that can challenge and inspire each o乐天堂app下载r in constructive ways. This kind of environment not only drives individual development but also accelerates progress across all research fields.

Why do you think collaboration and teamwork are important in science?

Today鈥檚 most pressing scientific challenges are too complex to be solved by individuals working in isolation or within a single discipline. Collaborative, interdisciplinary efforts are essential for meaningful progress. For me, 乐天堂app下载 most rewarding aspect of science is 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to engage with o乐天堂app下载rs 鈥� sharing ideas, tackling difficult problems toge乐天堂app下载r, and achieving more collectively than we ever could alone.

What is your favourite element?

Rhenium! We had a project studying a rhenium complex and it was a real pain, so I became a bit overfocused on rhenium for a while!