Professor Matthew Gibson FRSC

My sixth form teacher was really supportive of me, but what got me hooked on polymer chemistry was my master's project with Lian Hutchings at Durham, which led me to pursue a PhD in this field.

I know I am fortunate as there is a long list of people who (still) help me. I’ll mention my postdoc supervisor, Professor Harm-Anton Klok, who always has time to answer the phone, even whilst being head of a major research and teaching institute.

Go for it. Don’t let anyone suggest that if you are the first or the tenth person you know to study the subject that it matters. Don’t let outdated images of scientists or old-fashioned prescriptive descriptions of what chemistry is hold you back.

It’s not my expertise, but emerging therapies and diagnostics for neurodegenerative diseases, such as the antibodies which can slow dementia progression. The societal needs for these are huge.

Moving my lab to Manchester in October last year was a big undertaking. It has been exciting, and the new environment is incredibly stimulating. However, in making this move, I made a big impact on my team members’ lives and careers, and I am grateful for their support!

A lot of problems we face now are those where great strides were made in the past (cheap energy, cheap food, clean water). Chemistry is essential for society to progress with sustainable solutions for the 21st century. In a specific example, cryoscience is enabling complex cold chains to deliver complex therapies (e.g. mRNA vaccines) intact and ready to use.

It is tempting to say a hard-to-pronounce, short-lived heavy element …  but I will say fluorine, as I am wise enough to let our collaborators handle it so we don’t have to!