KS4 Spring Chemistry Conference 2023
We are holding our second Virtual Spring Chemistry Conference for KS4 (14-16 yrs) students and their teachers in March 2023. Two Oxford Chemistry researchers will share about their innovative work, and there will be plenty of opportunity for questions.
Open to Year 10 and 11 students (or equiv., 14-16 yrs) and their teachers interested in finding out more about the cutting edge research happening in the field of chemistry, and hosted by the Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford. Students are welcome to attend unaccompanied by a teacher.
Confirmed speakers:
Denis Hartmann - Using Light to Understand and Control Biology
Originally from Vorarlberg, Austria, Denis graduated with a First Class Honours MChem degree from the University of Oxford, St. Anne’s College. During his Part II year, he worked in with Prof. Jonathan Burton on alkene synthesis. Previously, Denis did a 2-month summer project at LMU Munich in the Lotsch group, working on moisture-responsive Bragg-reflectors. Denis is part of the Synthesis for Biology and Medicine Centre for Doctoral Training (SBM CDT) and his DPhil project, working with Dr. Booth, considers new ways to chemically control DNA expression. Besides the lab, Denis has a passion for cooking and baking, exploring the cuisines of the world. He also enjoys playing the bassoon, video games, languages, arts and literature.
Dr Nicola Kelly - Solid State Chemistry: What, How, Why?
Nicola is a postdoctoral researcher in inorganic/materials chemistry. She first studied chemistry at Oxford, spending her final year working on layered solids with Prof. Simon Clarke. She then did a PhD in Cambridge supervised by Dr Sian Dutton, working on magnetic solids containing lanthanide ions. Nicola came back to Oxford and the Clarke Group in April 2022 and is now investigating another new set of layered ionic solids. A typical day in the lab involves high temperature synthesis (a bit like baking) and looking at the structures of the materials using X-rays. Outside the lab Nicola is usually found in the playground or reading stories with her 1-year-old son.
