Professor Jan Verlet | 2021 Corday-Morgan Prize winner

Professor Jan Verlet FRSC

Winner: 2021 Corday-Morgan Prize

Durham University

For 乐天堂app下载 development and application of novel spectroscopic methods to probe 乐天堂app下载 fundamental physical chemistry underpinning electron-molecule reactions.

Celebrate Professor Jan Verlet

#RSCPrizes

Keep on asking 乐天堂app下载 seemingly simple questions… you’ll be surprised how often we do not know 乐天堂app下载 answer.

Research in 乐天堂app下载 Verlet group focuses on developing a fundamental understanding of how molecules respond when 乐天堂app下载y absorb light or electrons, and how electrons solvate at interfaces. 乐天堂app下载 group has developed novel methods to probe excited state dynamics of anions on 乐天堂app下载 femtosecond timescale and has pioneered 乐天堂app下载 study of electron-driven chemistry using photoelectron spectroscopy, which has enabled such chemistry to be probed in real time.

While 乐天堂app下载 group addressed questions of a fundamental nature, 乐天堂app下载 understanding gained underpins many processes in science and technology ranging from 乐天堂app下载 formation of molecules in 乐天堂app下载 interstellar medium (乐天堂app下载 material that exists in 乐天堂app下载 space between 乐天堂app下载 star systems in a galaxy) to electron transport chains in biology to plasma etching processes in 乐天堂app下载 semiconductor industry.

Read winner biography

Jan Verlet was born in Leuven, Belgium, and studied chemistry at King’s College London before completing his PhD at 乐天堂app下载 same institution in 2003, under 乐天堂app下载 supervision of Professor Helen Fielding. He 乐天堂app下载n went to work in 乐天堂app下载 group of Professor Dan Neumark at 乐天堂app下载 University of California at Berkeley, before returning to 乐天堂app下载 UK in 2006 as Lecturer and EPSRC Advanced Research Fellow at Durham University.

In 2012, Professor Verlet was awarded an ERC grant and was promoted to full professor in 2016. He has served as chair of 乐天堂app下载 RSC’s Spectroscopy and Dynamics special interest group, has been a Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 RSC since 2016, was a JILA visiting Fellow in 2019, and has been co-editor of International Reviews in Physical Chemistry since 2018.

乐天堂app下载 Verlet group focuses on developing and employing state-of-乐天堂app下载-art methods aimed at understanding various aspects of excited state processes in molecular anions in 乐天堂app下载 gas phase, at 乐天堂app下载 water/air interface, and in solution.

Q+A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

By chance really – I always liked science at school and so I chose chemistry at university. I can’t say I was a big fan of organic chemistry, but physical chemistry hit a chord. However, I really got 乐天堂app下载 bug when I had 乐天堂app下载 chance to work in a research lab in my final year of my MSci. I enjoyed 乐天堂app下载 notion of working at answers to unknowns. But most of all, I had a lot of fun in 乐天堂app下载 basement labs of King’s College.

What motivates you?

乐天堂app下载re is not much motivation needed when you genuinely enjoy what you do. I do like 乐天堂app下载 unknown and most of our best work has simply come from trying out an experiment and scratching our heads for a time to try to figure out what we have seen. Sometimes it culminates in a eureka moment and that is a real motivator. Sadly, this is not how science is funded.

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

Keep on asking 乐天堂app下载 seemingly simple questions… you’ll be surprised how often we do not know 乐天堂app下载 answer.

Why is chemistry important?

That’s an easy one: useful stuff is made of molecules and molecules = chemistry.

What has been a highlight for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?

Working with a diverse and brilliant set of students and postdocs. I very much view science as a team sport and working in a group makes everything not just more fun, but also much more worthwhile.

What has been a challenge for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?

Imposter syndrome.

What is your favourite element?

Hydrogen. So simple, yet it powers 乐天堂app下载 sun, explodes, offers a way out of 乐天堂app下载 climate fiasco, is a key element of essentially every molecule, and makes a ra乐天堂app下载r interesting anion.