九州影院

Q&A with Dr Lauren Hatcher

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

I specifically remember attending a 鈥渟cience day鈥� at my future secondary school (Millais School in Horsham, West Sussex) as a year six primary student and performing my first experiment in a chemistry lab. We made esters that are used in common flavourings, like pear drops and bananas, and had great fun trying to identify the smells we had made. This experiment clearly had an impact on me as it was imprinted in my mind: just one example of how chemistry influences our everyday lives.

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

My PhD supervisor, Paul Raithby, is a constant support and inspiration. Paul is a leading figure in the global structural chemistry community and during his career spearheaded various networks and initiatives to encourage collaboration and teamwork across the structural sciences.

His inherently open and collaborative nature has inspired my own approach, leading me to pursue projects with numerous fellow researchers that often cross traditional disciplinary boundaries. Paul鈥檚 quietly supportive and motivational approach to supervision is evidenced by his ability to inspire the next generation, with many of his former students and research associates remaining a key part of the UK structural chemistry community today. His influence has undoubtedly shaped my career, and I feel very fortunate to have worked closely with Paul for so many years.

What motivates you?

I have always been motivated to understand how things work and to explain the world around us, and much of my early research motivation has been fuelled by curiosity-driven research. As I have transitioned into becoming a group leader, I find myself being inspired by the innovation and hard work of those around me, particularly by my excellent research students who come up with new ideas to be tested and scrutinized every day.

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

For those pursuing an academic career in chemistry, one of the most important characteristics to develop is resilience. The ability to bounce back from a set-back, to reassess, adapt and come back with a new and improved hypothesis for testing is the absolute basis of good research, as well as a life-skill that is invaluable when navigating the challenging landscape of academic funding!

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

In the context of my own research, which uses accelerator facilities like synchrotrons and XFELS on a very regular basis, I am most excited about the current and ongoing movement to upgrade and bring online new facilities around the world. The upgrades in X-ray brightness, instrumentation and software development that are being facilitated by this investment have the potential to revolutionise so many areas of structural chemistry and biology research 鈥� allowing us to perform experiments and address global challenges that would have been unthinkable as little as a decade ago. The future of light sources is bright indeed!

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

Developing a bespoke in-house instrument for real-time crystallography in my research lab at Cardiff, in collaboration with instrument manufacturer Rigaku, has been a key highlight of my work to date. This is an idea that had circulated for many years and has only really been possible, in the way we have implemented it, very recently due to the dramatic advances in instrumentation lately enjoyed in our field. Receiving the funding to develop this instrument was a huge step forward in my fledgling independent career, and the set-up is now a launch pad to develop new and exciting areas of my portfolio into the future.

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

Beginning my independent career at the same time as starting a family has definitely been the most challenging time of my career to date. I have had two periods of maternity leave in the first five years from my early career fellowship and the impact of this on my research, productivity and the knock-on effect on my research group has certainly been wide-reaching. Although academia has come a long way in supporting parents to continue in their roles, there is still much to be done to support and achieve true equality for women in science (and in other fields) throughout the UK.

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

For me, a good research culture fosters strong and wide-reaching collaboration across different research groups, research areas and disciplines, and between countries. A truly collaborative approach to science with no barriers is the only real way to achieve a step-change in the way we understand the world.

How are the chemical sciences making the world a better place?

The chemical sciences contribute to the key challenges facing the global community in almost every aspect. This includes developing new and improved materials to address the global energy crisis, climate change and for safe and reliable data storage. They also enable us to discover new medicines 鈥� making them cheaper, safer and more accessible for patients around the world 鈥� and uncover their mechanisms of action so that we can circumvent future problems, such as antibiotic resistance or virus mutations. 九州影院 makes daily contributions to the world around us, and the innovation and dedication of researchers in our discipline should be celebrated at every opportunity.

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

So many of the unanswered questions sit at the boundaries between traditional disciplines where, without collaboration between researchers with different backgrounds and experience, progress will never be made. For the benefit of all stakeholders, research should be detailed, rigorous and test any hypothesis to its absolute limits, and the best way to achieve this is for specialists in each area to work together in collaboration.

How can scientists try to improve the environmental sustainability of research? Can you give us any examples from your own experience or context?

The most important thing any individual can do is to try and reflect on the potential impact, good and bad, of their activities prior to beginning a new research project. While it is, of course, impossible to mitigate every issue that might arise from a new research direction, particularly when it arises organically from a curiosity-driven starting point, researchers can take the time to consider any impact their work could reasonably have, particularly from a socio-environmental standpoint, and take any feasible steps to mitigate or prepare for any challenges before they arise.

What is your favourite element?

Nickel 鈥� my first ever publication focused on a Ni(II) complex capable of light induced linkage isomer switching in the single crystal!