Professor Karen Faulds FRSC

Winner: 2021 Analytical Division mid-career Award

University of Strathclyde

For contributions to the field of surface enhanced spatially offset Raman scattering (SESORRS).

Celebrate Professor Karen Faulds

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I need to carry out work where what I am doing has a purpose, where my research could have an impact on improving people's lives or environment.

Professor Faulds' research involves developing the technique of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for multiplexed bioanalytical applications. Raman involves directing laser light onto a molecule resulting in the light being scattered with a change in wavelength that is related to the structure of the molecules, providing a molecular fingerprint that can be used for definitive identification.

Using nanoparticles combined with SERS, the group develops bionanosensors for the specific detection of biomarkers related to disease. Her group are using this approach for the detection of multiple DNA sequences related to disease, multiple biomarkers that indicate the onset of sepsis, drug induced liver damage and indicators of cardiovascular disease, for the detection and understanding of cancer and drug treatments, and for the sensitive detection of whole bacteria in both the healthcare setting and the food industry.

These approaches are being developed with a view to achieving point-of-care detection. The group are also developing the approach of surface enhanced spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SESORS) for the detection of disease changes at depth with a view to carrying out measurements at depth, inside the body, for the identification of changes related to cancer and bacterial infection.

Read winner biography

Karen Faulds is a Professor in the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry at the University of Strathclyde. She completed her PhD at Strathclyde under the supervision of Professor Ewen Smith (2003) before taking up a postdoctoral researcher position with Professor Duncan Graham. She was later appointed as a lecturer at Strathclyde in 2006, promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2010, Reader in 2012 and Professor in 2015.

Professor Faulds has published over 150 peer reviewed publications, has filed five patents and has given over 90 talks at national and international conferences. She has been awarded over £20 million in funding as principal and co-investigator from EPSRC, BBSRC, MRC, charities and industry. Her group's research has been recognised through multiple awards including the Nexxus Young Life Scientist of the Year Award (2009), the Royal Society of Chemistry Joseph Black Award (2013), Craver Award (2016), Charles Mann Award (2019) and Robert Kellner Lecturer (2021). She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2012), the Society for Applied Spectroscopy (2017) and the Royal Society of Edinburgh (2018).

She was elected as the first female and youngest Chair of the Infrared and Raman Discussion Group (IRDG) in 2014. She is also an elected member of the Royal Society of Chemistry Analytical Division Council and a member of the Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies (FACSS) Governing Board. She is the Strathclyde Director of the EPSRC and MRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Optical Medical Imaging (shared between the University of Edinburgh and University of Strathclyde), an Associate Editor for Analyst and serves on the editorial board of RSC Advances and Analyst, and the editorial advisory board for Chemical Society Reviews.

Q+A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

I think I was always going to be a scientist or an engineer, always wanting to understand how things work. I was one of those (very!) annoying children that asked ‘why?’ constantly. At nursery I fought over getting to play with the wooden bricks and I carried out experiments and made terrible concoctions, usually involving my mum’s perfume and flower petals! I enjoyed all the sciences at school but my true passion was always for chemistry. I need to carry out work where what I am doing has a purpose, where my research could have an impact on improving people's lives or environment. My ambition is to be able to develop approaches that will allow earlier detection of disease which will allow faster and more patient specific medical intervention which will have an impact on patient care and also in reducing the cost of healthcare.

Who or what has inspired you?

I have always been inspired by those with whom I work closest. I have had the privilege to have had two amazing mentors in Ewen Smith and Duncan Graham as an early career researcher and they inspired me to try to become as good a researcher and academic as possible but also to have fun and appreciate the social side of science! I am inspired every day by the early career researchers I get to work with and I take great pleasure from what they achieve and the hurdles they overcome.

What motivates you?

Hoping that my science will one day make a difference, and contributing to the training of the next generation of scientists.

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

Take every opportunity that is offered to you even if it terrifies you at first! Particularly if it involves giving presentations, meeting new people or going somewhere new. These opportunities will build confidence and make you friends and contacts that you will have for life.

Can you tell us about a scientific development on the horizon that you are excited about?

Raman and SERS spectroscopy is headed towards being used more routinely as a biomedical tool to understand disease and pathogens. In the future it will be used for the understanding and diagnosis of disease as well as for monitoring treatment.

What has been a challenge for you (either personally or in your career)?

In my early career I lacked confidence and it was something I had to work hard at building and overcoming by pushing myself into situations that I was not naturally confident in.

Why do you think teamwork is important in science?

I have always worked in close collaboration with other scientists, I think teamwork is everything and don’t think I could ever work in isolation as a scientist. Analytical science is a hugely multidisciplinary area of research and I love being able to work with scientists from lots of different disciplines to try and solve problems. This means I am always getting the chance to learn more about different areas of science and challenges through collaborations as well as work with some fantastic people! I also enjoy being part of the analytical community as I think it is a very energetic and sociable community.