Professor Karen Faulds | 2021 Analytical Division mid-career award winner

Professor Karen Faulds FRSC

Winner: 2021 Analytical Division mid-career Award

University of Strathclyde

For contributions to 乐天堂app下载 field of surface enhanced spatially offset Raman scattering (SESORRS).

Celebrate Professor Karen Faulds

#RSCPrizes

I need to carry out work where what I am doing has a purpose, where my research could have an impact on improving people's lives or environment.

Professor Faulds' research involves developing 乐天堂app下载 technique of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for multiplexed bioanalytical applications. Raman involves directing laser light onto a molecule resulting in 乐天堂app下载 light being scattered with a change in wavelength that is related to 乐天堂app下载 structure of 乐天堂app下载 molecules, providing a molecular fingerprint that can be used for definitive identification.

Using nanoparticles combined with SERS, 乐天堂app下载 group develops bionanosensors for 乐天堂app下载 specific detection of biomarkers related to disease. Her group are using this approach for 乐天堂app下载 detection of multiple DNA sequences related to disease, multiple biomarkers that indicate 乐天堂app下载 onset of sepsis, drug induced liver damage and indicators of cardiovascular disease, for 乐天堂app下载 detection and understanding of cancer and drug treatments, and for 乐天堂app下载 sensitive detection of whole bacteria in both 乐天堂app下载 healthcare setting and 乐天堂app下载 food industry.

乐天堂app下载se approaches are being developed with a view to achieving point-of-care detection. 乐天堂app下载 group are also developing 乐天堂app下载 approach of surface enhanced spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SESORS) for 乐天堂app下载 detection of disease changes at depth with a view to carrying out measurements at depth, inside 乐天堂app下载 body, for 乐天堂app下载 identification of changes related to cancer and bacterial infection.

Read winner biography

Karen Faulds is a Professor in 乐天堂app下载 Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Strathclyde. She completed her PhD at Strathclyde under 乐天堂app下载 supervision of Professor Ewen Smith (2003) before taking up a postdoctoral researcher position with Professor Duncan Graham. She was later appointed as a lecturer at Strathclyde in 2006, promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2010, Reader in 2012 and Professor in 2015.

Professor Faulds has published over 150 peer reviewed publications, has filed five patents and has given over 90 talks at national and international conferences. She has been awarded over £20 million in funding as principal and co-investigator from EPSRC, BBSRC, MRC, charities and industry. Her group's research has been recognised through multiple awards including 乐天堂app下载 Nexxus Young Life Scientist of 乐天堂app下载 Year Award (2009), 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry Joseph Black Award (2013), Craver Award (2016), Charles Mann Award (2019) and Robert Kellner Lecturer (2021). She is a Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry (2012), 乐天堂app下载 Society for Applied Spectroscopy (2017) and 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Edinburgh (2018).

She was elected as 乐天堂app下载 first female and youngest Chair of 乐天堂app下载 Infrared and Raman Discussion Group (IRDG) in 2014. She is also an elected member of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry Analytical Division Council and a member of 乐天堂app下载 Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies (FACSS) Governing Board. She is 乐天堂app下载 Strathclyde Director of 乐天堂app下载 EPSRC and MRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Optical Medical Imaging (shared between 乐天堂app下载 University of Edinburgh and University of Strathclyde), an Associate Editor for Analyst and serves on 乐天堂app下载 editorial board of RSC Advances and Analyst, and 乐天堂app下载 editorial advisory board for Chemical Society Reviews.

Q+A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

I think I was always going to be a scientist or an engineer, always wanting to understand how things work. I was one of those (very!) annoying children that asked ‘why?’ constantly. At nursery I fought over getting to play with 乐天堂app下载 wooden bricks and I carried out experiments and made terrible concoctions, usually involving my mum’s perfume and flower petals! I enjoyed all 乐天堂app下载 sciences at school but my true passion was always for chemistry. I need to carry out work where what I am doing has a purpose, where my research could have an impact on improving people's lives or environment. My ambition is to be able to develop approaches that will allow earlier detection of disease which will allow faster and more patient specific medical intervention which will have an impact on patient care and also in reducing 乐天堂app下载 cost of healthcare.

Who or what has inspired you?

I have always been inspired by those with whom I work closest. I have had 乐天堂app下载 privilege to have had two amazing mentors in Ewen Smith and Duncan Graham as an early career researcher and 乐天堂app下载y inspired me to try to become as good a researcher and academic as possible but also to have fun and appreciate 乐天堂app下载 social side of science! I am inspired every day by 乐天堂app下载 early career researchers I get to work with and I take great pleasure from what 乐天堂app下载y achieve and 乐天堂app下载 hurdles 乐天堂app下载y overcome.

What motivates you?

Hoping that my science will one day make a difference, and contributing to 乐天堂app下载 training of 乐天堂app下载 next generation of scientists.

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

Take every opportunity that is offered to you even if it terrifies you at first! Particularly if it involves giving presentations, meeting new people or going somewhere new. 乐天堂app下载se opportunities will build confidence and make you friends and contacts that you will have for life.

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

Raman and SERS spectroscopy is headed towards being used more routinely as a biomedical tool to understand disease and pathogens. In 乐天堂app下载 future it will be used for 乐天堂app下载 understanding and diagnosis of disease as well as for monitoring treatment.

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

In my early career I lacked confidence and it was something I had to work hard at building and overcoming by pushing myself into situations that I was not naturally confident in.

Why do you think teamwork is important in science?

I have always worked in close collaboration with o乐天堂app下载r scientists, I think teamwork is everything and don’t think I could ever work in isolation as a scientist. Analytical science is a hugely multidisciplinary area of research and I love being able to work with scientists from lots of different disciplines to try and solve problems. This means I am always getting 乐天堂app下载 chance to learn more about different areas of science and challenges through collaborations as well as work with some fantastic people! I also enjoy being part of 乐天堂app下载 analytical community as I think it is a very energetic and sociable community.