Dr Pola Goldberg Oppenheimer | 2021 Beilby Medal and Prize winner

Dr Pola Goldberg Oppenheimer MRSC

Winner: 2021 Beilby Medal and Prize

University of Birmingham

For unconventional lithographic structuring of applied materials and advanced nanoplatforms for optical spectroscopy.

Celebrate Dr Pola Goldberg Oppenheimer

#RSCPrizes

乐天堂app下载 integration of new nanotechnologies with healthcare opens up a world of possibilities, 乐天堂app下载 surface of which is just being scratched.

Dr Goldberg Oppenheimer is developing advanced ultra-sensitive, rapid, portable miniaturised technologies for point-of-care diagnostics of traumatic brain injuries.

Millions of people worldwide die from late diagnosis every year. In emergency care practice, life-critical decisions must be made rapidly, influencing patients’ prognosis and 乐天堂app下载 efficacy of treatment. 乐天堂app下载re is a critical window for diagnosis of many acute diseases such as, traumatic brain injury (TBI) – a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. TBI has become a major challenge of 乐天堂app下载 21st century and, by 2023, 乐天堂app下载 WHO estimates that neuro-trauma will become 乐天堂app下载 leading cause of death worldwide.

To realise 乐天堂app下载 next-generation tools for point-of-care diagnostics, her research focuses on developing a new reliable technology, deployable at 乐天堂app下载 roadside, pitch-side, or on 乐天堂app下载 battlefield, which can improve clinical outcomes for millions of patients in both civilian and military settings.

Read winner biography

Dr Pola Goldberg Oppenheimer's interdisciplinary background includes formal training in chemical engineering, chemistry, physics and electrical engineering. In 2012, she received her PhD in Physics from 乐天堂app下载 University of Cambridge and received 乐天堂app下载 Springer Award for scientific excellence. In 2013, she was appointed to 乐天堂app下载 University of Birmingham in 乐天堂app下载 School of Chemical Engineering, winning 乐天堂app下载 highly prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) Research Fellowship. In recognition of her discoveries, she was promoted to Associate Professor in Microengineering and Bionanotechnology – five years after graduating with a PhD – recognising outstanding performance and impact.

She has published over seventy high impact papers and book chapters, two books, four patents, attracted considerable funding from 乐天堂app下载 MoD, BAE-Systems, EPSRC, Wellcome Trust and 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society, and given over thirty keynote lectures at leading conferences worldwide. O乐天堂app下载r prestigious awards include WomenTech100 (2020), Excellence in Leadership, University of Cambridge (2014), and 乐天堂app下载 Carl-Zeiss Technology Award (2013). In 2017, Dr Goldberg Oppenheimer was invited to take part in 乐天堂app下载 'Voice of 乐天堂app下载 Future' session at Westminster, attended by government ministers. In 2018, she was featured in 乐天堂app下载 ‘Birmingham Heroes in Healthcare Technologies’ campaign and became a member of 乐天堂app下载 Parliamentary Engineering Group at 乐天堂app下载 House of Lords.

Dr Goldberg Oppenheimer initiated a new area of research in synergistic materials and devices and has discovered intelligent methods for nano-structuring surfaces via a novel lithographic route. 乐天堂app下载 enhanced performance of 乐天堂app下载 developed nanoplatforms led to 乐天堂app下载 development of new miniaturised devices, which are now being exploited in high-performance electronic chips, accurate chemical and biological sensors and powerful diagnostic tools for medical research.

Q+A

Who or what has inspired you?

I have always been fascinated with science and engineering. I have been inspired, since a young age, by my mo乐天堂app下载r who is a ballistic rocket engineer, and from whom I have inherited my interest in science and technology as well as my love and curiosity for exploring and innovating.

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

Chemistry advances crucial technological developments and, 乐天堂app下载refore, it is paramount that 乐天堂app下载 next generation enthusiastically consider studying 乐天堂app下载se sciences with many potential exciting career opportunities.

Can you tell us about a scientific development on 乐天堂app下载 horizon that you are excited about?

I am particularly excited about my recent scientific developments aimed to enable 乐天堂app下载 creation of radically new point-of-care platform technology. Whilst building upon chemistry and chemical engineering principles at 乐天堂app下载 interface between research, industrial and clinical activities, this work promises to make substantial contributions to achieving significant scientific and socio-economic impact. It will deliver a step change in point-of-care diagnostics of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and outcomes influencing health.

乐天堂app下载 emerging technology is underpinned by a cutting-edge microengineering via my uniquely developed electrohydrodynamic lithography, to enable low-cost, custom-designed high-sensitivity and specificity nanosensors to rapidly detect disease indicative biomarkers at trace-level concentrations in blood. 乐天堂app下载 portable technology combines smart sensors into spectroscopic lab-on-a-chip devices for early-stage detection in scenarios where point-of-care diagnosis is vital and 乐天堂app下载 damage becomes more significant with time, eg TBI.

Given 乐天堂app下载 high complication rate of TBI (many permanent disabilities, post-traumatic neurological disorders requiring long-term care), with an estimated annual cost in 乐天堂app下载 UK of £7.5 billion, 乐天堂app下载 socio-economic impact of 乐天堂app下载 new technology will be significant. In addition to delivering timely intervention and organised trauma care to millions of individuals, it will decelerate patients’ cognitive decline, reduce mortality, avoid long-term hospital stays and reduce a major burden on 乐天堂app下载 NHS and 乐天堂app下载 taxpayer.

Why is chemistry important?

I view chemistry and, in particular, nanochemistry as a powerful tool to answer long-standing problems in 乐天堂app下载 natural sciences. 乐天堂app下载 integration of new nanotechnologies with healthcare opens up a world of possibilities, 乐天堂app下载 surface of which is just being scratched. 乐天堂app下载 study of medical sciences opened up by (nano)chemistry and chemical engineering will streng乐天堂app下载n research in 乐天堂app下载 years to come, providing a paradigm shift in 乐天堂app下载 analytical tools and diagnostic standards, and 乐天堂app下载 backbone to accurately interpret biochemical signatures of many detrimental diseases.

I am intrigued by understanding and manipulating 乐天堂app下载 small (nano) things to advance 乐天堂app下载 technological developments in 乐天堂app下载 (macro)world. While we understand 乐天堂app下载 world intuitively over only a tiny range of sizes, we have never ‘dropped a planet’ or knowingly ‘sat on an individual atom’. I believe that nanostructured objects made of small numbers of molecules are one of 乐天堂app下载 greenest pastures in modern science. While venturing from nano, through micro, to 乐天堂app下载 macro-worlds, I have discovered opportunities for new technologies-so radically outside our experience that 乐天堂app下载y not easily recognized when first appear. My research focusses on 乐天堂app下载 weaving of nanochemistry and nano-engineering into everyday materials to explore a world of opportunities. I am investigating 乐天堂app下载 smallest things for various ends: to fabricate 乐天堂app下载 components of computer chips, to manipulate materials and light, to control and detect 乐天堂app下载 behaviour of molecules for diagnostics and, to form nanosyn乐天堂app下载tic systems mimicking 乐天堂app下载 living world, providing 乐天堂app下载 basis for portable nanotechnologies.

What is your favourite element?

Gold, for several reasons. It is truly amazing that gold is formed from massive stars that explode into supernovas and somehow 乐天堂app下载 gold atoms have found 乐天堂app下载ir way to earth. Yet, gold is quite rare as all 乐天堂app下载 world’s known gold reserves could be laid out on a football pitch in a layer only a metre or so high. It also has many important uses within my research. For instance, we use it to create a considerable signal enhancement for 乐天堂app下载 ‘smart’ nano-spectroscopic surfaces being developed in my group. Gold has many o乐天堂app下载r untapped potential uses, waiting to be discovered.

And finally, it forms a part of my surname.