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University of Reading

Royal Society of Chemistry awards for University of Reading Professors

Thursday, 26 May 2016

Royal Society of Chemistry awards for University of Reading Professors

Professor Ian Hamley (Physical Chemistry) and Professor Christine Cardin (Inorganic and Materials Chemistry) have each won prestigious awards from the Royal Society of Chemistry.  

Professor Ian Hamley was awarded the 2016 Peter Day Award, an honour given to those who make an outstanding contribution to the field of materials chemistry. Professor Hamley specialises in polymers and peptides (small protein-like molecules) towards the potential development of therapies for conditions including Alzheimer's and obesity. His work also looks at the development and study of collagen-stimulating molecules, for the creation of new biomaterials with potential applications in wound healing.

Speaking of his achievement, Professor Hamley said: "I am absolutely delighted, as this is a very prestigious award and a great honour in recognition of a lot of hard work by my group over the years."

Professor Christine Cardin received the 2016 Rita and John Cornforth Award alongside colleagues from Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin in recognition for their innovative structural work on DNA. The Rita and John Cornforth Award enables scientists working in collaborative research teams with both chemistry and the life sciences disciplines to be promoted and rewarded. Professor Cardin has recently focused her attentions on nucleic acid structure, with a focus on the precise details of small molecule interactions.

 Discussing her award, Professor Cardin said: "This has been truly a collaborative effort, and I am only sorry that we couldn't name everyone who has contributed to our success. We are all experts in different techniques, and it is only by combining our skills and understanding that we were able to interpret our data. I would like to thank everyone who has helped us along the way, and we look forward to hearing of the future successes of the many students and postdoctoral fellows who have contributed to our recent work."

Professor Hamley and Professor Cardin each received £2,000 in prize money, a medal, and a certificate. Professor Hamley and Professor Cardin now join an illustrious list of 47 previous winners of the Royal Society of Chemistry Awards, appearing alongside eminent figures including Harry Kroto, Fred Sanger and Linus Pauling.