Winner: 2025 Technical Excellence Prize
Dr Jack Woolley
University of Warwick
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2025 Technical Excellence Prize: awarded for providing outstanding technical and scientific support to users of the Warwick Centre for Ultrafast Spectroscopy, enabling many researchers to conduct impactful science.
Light interacts with materials everywhere. In the laboratory, Jack uses pulses of light a millionth of millionth of a second in length to look at what materials and molecules do when they absorb the energy from the light 鈥� by doing this, researchers can learn about the properties of the material, and then tailor the design of materials and molecules for better results. Jack uses these techniques to look at everything from the effects of UV light on DNA to the next generation of solar harvesting materials.
Biography
Jack Woolley is the platform manager for the Warwick Centre for Ultrafast Spectroscopy (WCUS) Research Technology Platform. He has been the platform manager for WCUS since its founding as a Research Technology Platform in August 2021. He is responsible for the training of users and assisting in measurements along with the maintenance of equipment.
He completed his MPhys in Chemical Physics at Heriot-Watt University in 2016, before moving to Warwick to complete his PhD in the group of Professor Vasilios Stavros. Away from his main roles, Jack regularly participates in public engagement events, speaking on how he uses lasers in his day-to-day work and how they are being used for applications in modern society.
No one has all the answers. The expertise that people have and the data that they collect fits into one small part of the whole picture of the research.
Dr Jack Woolley
Q&A with Dr Jack Woolley
Tell us about somebody who has inspired or mentored you in your career.
The supervisors that I've had have all added something to my career. They have given me the opportunity to develop at every stage.
What motivates you?
The people I work with, especially all the Master鈥檚 and PhD students. They have such an appetite to learn and try new experiments. The chats I have with them help me think about things differently.
How are the chemical sciences making the world a better place?
Nearly all the research I support has the scope for large social impact. Whether its new solar harvesting materials or increasing crop protection to enhance yields. But these big breakthroughs aren鈥檛 possible without the fundamental scientific studies.
Why do you think collaboration and teamwork are important in science?
No one has all the answers. The expertise that people have and the data that they collect fits into one small part of the whole picture of the research.