Professor Harry Anderson FRSC

As a child, I was fascinated by how things burn or melt when you heat them. I loved playing with fire. I also wanted to be an inventor. Both these impulses directed me towards chemistry. I became obsessed with chemistry as a teenager, and I carried out many experiment in my home laboratory, most of which would now be illegal.

I was lucky to have Martin Grossel as my tutor for organic chemistry. His enthusiasm inspired me to study supramolecular and physical organic chemistry. Jeremy Sanders was also an inspirational mentor. He taught me to tackle research projects by focusing on the most important questions and ‘going for the jugular’. He gave me tremendous encouragement and freedom to explore my own ideas during my PhD.

I enjoy inventing new molecules and learning how we can control their properties by changing their structures.

Most of the problems that face society, such as climate change, shortages of resources or incurable diseases, can only be solved by chemistry in combination with other disciplines. These areas of applied chemistry are dependent on advances in fundamental understanding. Fundamental research is also important in its own right as a way of understanding the universe in which we live.

Collaborating with scientists in other disciplines is essential because it allows one to tackle problems that are beyond the grasp of a single research group. Collaboration between scientists who share the same field of expertise can also be more rewarding than working alone. Collaborations can teach you different ways of working and different approaches to solving problems.