About this day
For A-level, IB, BTEC Level 3 and T Level chemistry students
Join us for an amazing day of exhilarating chemistry which will take students from key concepts learnt in the classroom to the latest advancements in chemical research! Through five engaging sessions students will meet experienced scientists from academia and industry and be inspired to become the scientists of the future.
Each day also includes a special session on examination success that will ensure students are equipped with the tools they need to excel. There will be plenty of interactivity throughout the day, with polls, quizzes and (of course) your chance to question the scientists – join us at Chemistry in Action this autumn!
Host: Anna Ploszajski (Materials Scientist, Writer and Storyteller) Exam Session: Peter Hoare (Newcastle University)
“The excellent scientists and communicators were an eye opener to the immense applications and possibilities in science.”
— Northwood College for Girls, Spring 2024 —
Programme & speakers
Strange Ice Andrea Sella, Chemist and broadcaster, University College London
From the freezer to a refreshing drink, ice is everywhere. But how well do you really know it? Andrea Sella will demonstrate how ice is a material so strange that it breaks almost every rule in our textbooks. Discover its unusual properties, compare it with other ices, and uncover what ice may be telling us about the certainty of our futures…
About Professor Andrea Sella
Andrea is a synthetic chemist and broadcaster who is interested in the structure and bonding in the rare earths. He has been involved in numerous radio and television projects.
Poisonous Tales: A Forensic Examination of Poisons in Fiction Hilary Hamnett, Associate Professor in Forensic Science
Dangerous, dark and difficult to detect, poisons are often used in fiction. Join Dr Hilary Hamnett to discover the poisons that: mimicked death in Romeo and Juliet, caused the Mad Hatter’s malady, and were slipped into James Bond’s martini.
About Dr Hilary Hamnett
Dr Hilary Hamnett is a forensic toxicologist, lecturer and author. She has investigated many deaths and crimes involving drugs, alcohol and poisons, and speaks widely to the public on this topic.
Tree-ting malaria Alex Lathbridge, Biochemist, Presenter, and Science Journalist
From cold medicines to chemotherapy, lots of drugs we rely on today use compounds derived from the plants growing around us. Join Dr Alex Lathbridge on a trip into the rainforest to find out how an indigenous South American tree gave us one of the most important tools in the fight against malaria: quinine.
About Dr Alex Lathbridge
Dr Alex Lathbridge is a biochemist turned science journalist. He spends most of his time talking science on radio and podcasts for the BBC (and anyone else that’ll have him). For his PhD, he mixed biochemistry and computer science to create anti-cancer peptides.
How can we use chemistry to design biosensors? Esther Osarfo-Mensah, University College London
Did you know that there are tiny particles in your body that your cells use to communicate? We’ll look at how we can use chemistry to capture these particles and use them to potentially detect diseases.
About Esther Osarfo-Mensah
Esther is a PhD student working across UCL and Imperial College London. After her MChem Chemistry degree at the University of Bath, she worked in science communication. Now, her research focuses on cell membrane mimics and developing sensors for disease detection.
Plastic Fantastic Jamie Gallagher, Science Presenter
Any shape, colour, property and it’ll last 500 years! Despite the damage plastic does to the environment demand has never been higher. Join materials scientist Dr Jamie Gallagher as he uncovers the amazing properties that lead to the plastic boom and how to tackle the plastic problem.
About Dr Jamie Gallagher
An award-winning scientist and science communicator, Jamie spends his days sharing his love of science. His work has taken him to stages around the world as well as TV and radio. Jamie has a PhD in materials science.