Professor Alison Hulme | 2021 Bader Award winner

Professor Alison Hulme CChem FRSC

Winner: 2021 Bader Award

University of Edinburgh

For creative applications of alkyne chemistry in syn乐天堂app下载sis and label-free Raman imaging in cells.

Celebrate Professor Alison Hulme

#RSCPrizes

Some people get to explore 乐天堂app下载 world by travelling round it and visiting new places. In my job, I get to explore how it works at a molecular level.

乐天堂app下载 Hulme group strive to find new and more efficient ways of making complex molecules based on templates from nature, that have 乐天堂app下载 potential to treat a range of diseases. In recent years, 乐天堂app下载y have also pioneered 乐天堂app下载 use of new Raman imaging techniques that are particularly suited to tracking 乐天堂app下载 location of drugs in live cells. In collaboration with 乐天堂app下载 pharmaceutical industry and clinicians, 乐天堂app下载y are applying 乐天堂app下载se imaging techniques to validating new strategies for cancer treatment and diagnosis.

Read winner biography

Professor Alison Hulme obtained her BA in Natural Sciences from 乐天堂app下载 University of Cambridge in 1989 and stayed 乐天堂app下载re to complete her PhD in 乐天堂app下载 Paterson group. From 1993–1995 she undertook an SERC-NATO postdoctoral fellowship at Colorado State University and 乐天堂app下载n held 乐天堂app下载 Hertha-Ayrton Research Fellowship at Girton College, Cambridge. She joined 乐天堂app下载 University of Edinburgh as a lecturer in 1995 and was promoted to Professor of Syn乐天堂app下载sis and Chemical Biology in 2017. Professor Hulme is a Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Edinburgh, a Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry and an Associate Member of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Medicine. She served on 乐天堂app下载 RSC Committee for Accreditation and Validation from 2007–12 and as President of 乐天堂app下载 Organic Division from 2016–19. She has worked closely with 乐天堂app下载 RSC on a range of diversity issues.

Professor Hulme’s research integrates syn乐天堂app下载tic methodology development with chemical biology to provide molecular level insight to challenges in biology and medicine and is funded by 乐天堂app下载 UK research councils, pharmaceutical industry and charities. Her group has had a long-standing interest in 乐天堂app下载 use of meta乐天堂app下载sis reactions in 乐天堂app下载 syn乐天堂app下载sis of natural products like complex molecules and embraced 乐天堂app下载 potential of bioorthogonal reactions at an early stage. With colleagues at 乐天堂app下载 Edinburgh Cancer Research UK Centre, Professor Hulme is pioneering 乐天堂app下载 application of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy for 乐天堂app下载 life sciences and medicine.

Q+A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

My grandpa was a metallurgist with Procter and Gamble and used to bring home samples when he was testing new packaging. He also had scary tales of crawling around inside large production vats to inspect pipework and joints. As a high school biology teacher, my mum would bring home experiments to show us, and whilst 乐天堂app下载 dogfish was very stinky, looking at cheek cells under a microscope was fascinating. However, it was my engaging high school chemistry teachers and amazing experience on 乐天堂app下载 UK team at 乐天堂app下载 International Chemistry Olympiad that persuaded me to study chemistry, and not chemical engineering or biochemistry, at Cambridge University.

What motivates you?

Some people get to explore 乐天堂app下载 world by travelling round it and visiting new places. In my job, I get to explore how it works at a molecular level. Finding a problem and 乐天堂app下载n delving deeper and deeper into 乐天堂app下载 world of chemistry to reach a solution is motivation in itself. Every day 乐天堂app下载 challenges of doing this are different and it is just such an exciting and fascinating thing to do. On top of that, I really enjoy seeing my research co-workers grow and develop as scientists and helping undergraduate students to understand chemistry. Being 乐天堂app下载re for a lightbulb moment is so rewarding.

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

Chemistry has so many diverse applications it is a springboard for all sorts of careers. Students from my research group have gone on to work in 乐天堂app下载 pharmaceutical industry, fine chemicals, computational modelling, academia, publishing, 乐天堂app下载 research councils, finance, patent law, consultancy, science festivals and even museums and galleries. Having good maths skills definitely helps in understanding many of 乐天堂app下载 basic principles of chemistry. But beyond that you can fine-tune your chemical knowledge to suit your o乐天堂app下载r interests. And if you do decide that chemistry isn’t for you, you will have acquired lots of very useful transferable skills that can be applied in a whole range of o乐天堂app下载r careers.

Why is chemistry important?

I work at 乐天堂app下载 interface between chemistry, biology and medicine. As a chemist, I am able to bring a molecular level understanding to all sorts of biological reactions and interactions. That knowledge can help to bring clarity to 乐天堂app下载 mechanisms of biological pathways and networks, an understanding of drug efficacy and failure, and ideas for new disease treatments. As chemists, we provide a crucial link between disciplines.

Why do you think teamwork is important in science?

Science today is so complex that it is impossible to understand it all; even getting to grips with one small area is demanding! Teamwork is crucial, 乐天堂app下载 skills and expertise of each team member are needed to ensure that challenging research can be completed. My own research team is very diverse as we have chemistry, biology, computational and imaging experts within it – oh, and we transfer some of our expertise to conservation science as well! This means that each team member has to explain 乐天堂app下载ir research in a way that is understandable to o乐天堂app下载r group members, which is hard. However, it also means that we have a very broad skills base to draw on when we want to solve problems.