Chemistry Webinar Series
Following on from the successes of the TIGER in STEMM Physics Webinars in 2020, we are delighted to announce the launch of the TIGER in STEMM Chemistry Webinar Series! Running from May - July 2021 on Zoom, each webinar will feature a talk from an established or early career researcher about their research or work on equity in chemistry, alongside two undergraduate / Master's students presenting their research in short, seven-minute talks. A further chemist will chair the session, hosting a live Q&A with the speakers.
The code of conduct for the webinars can be found at the bottom of this page.
These events are all free to attend. If you are in a position to do so, we invite you to make a donation to the Cowrie Scholarship foundation which wants to fund 100 disadvantaged Black British students through UK Universities in the next decade. You can do so here: https://cowriescholarshipfoundation.enthuse.com/donate#!/. Please quote “Tigers” in the comment section of your donation.
The Talks
All of the talks are free to attend and will be held as webinars on Zoom, from 16:00 - 17:30. You can register for free tickets via Eventbrite.
Weds 19th May - Dr Zoe Ayres - More than a chemist: Defining my worth
Weds 2nd June - Dr Jenny Zhang - Integrating worlds: natural and artificial photosynthesis
Weds 16th June - Jaime Pitts - Transitioning, Crosslinking & Kinases: a PhD Student’s Perspective
Weds 30th June - Lara Lalemi - Decolonising my mind and my environment
Weds 14th July - Dr Jerelle A. Joseph - How cells form compartments without walls - Register now
14th July 2021, 16:00 GMT
Keynote speaker: Dr Jerelle A. Joseph - How cells form compartments without walls
Most people are familiar with membrane-bound compartments inside cells, such as the nucleus and mitochondria. However, there are many compartments inside cells that are not enclosed by physical membranes. In this talk I will discuss the formation of “membraneless organelles” via the process of liquid-liquid phase separation. Although these compartments may play vital roles in cells, the mechanisms that lead to their formation and dissolution are still not well understood. I will demonstrate how, together with experiments, we have designed multiscale computational approaches to better elucidate the molecular details of intracellular phase separation.
Undergraduate speakers:
Haldrian Iriawan (he/him)
The fundamental limitation of electrocatalytic N2 oxidation to enable green nitrate synthesisEleanor Teather (she/her)
A little introduction to iron-pnictide superconductors
Chair:
30th June 2021, 16:00 GMT
Keynote speaker: Lara Lalemi - Decolonising my mind and my environment
Decolonising my mind and environment stems from learning from social scientists, academics around me and my personal experiences as well as background. Not only did I have to face my own self imposed barriers to getting into a PhD, I also faced the challenges presented by the education system in the U.K. With this in mind, I sought to change the environment around me (School of Chemistry, University of Bristol) to becoming more inclusive, diverse and innovative. My talk will explore this journey and the lesson learnt along the way.
Undergraduate speakers:
George Vines (he/him)
Bromodomain proteins in histone modificationCharlotte Marie Istance (she/her)
Double Dagger - A transition of life and gender.
Chair: Dr Binuraj Menon (he/him)
16th June 2021, 16:00 GMT
Keynote speaker: Jaime Pitts - Transitioning, Crosslinking & Kinases: a PhD Student's Perspective
In the field of chemical biology, understanding the structural basis for protein-protein interactions is critical for the development of therapeutics. This task is made more complex when the interactions and proteins themselves are dynamic. This talk will demonstrate the utility of crosslinking mass spectrometry in studying the dynamic interactions of cancer proteins, alongside traditional crystallographic and biochemical methods. In addition, it will discuss what it means to be interdisciplinary, as well as sharing a perspective on what it means to transition while completing a PhD, and the issues associated with being transgender in STEMM.
Undergraduate speakers:
Tihana Stefanic (she/her)
Forever Chemicals: the magnitude, dangers, and future of PFAS compoundsLivia Maskos (she/her)
Quantum effects in biology
Chair: Prof Bhavik Patel (he/him)
2nd June 2021, 16:00 GMT
Keynote speaker: Dr Jenny Zhang - Integrating worlds: natural and artificial photosynthesis
Nature has mastered the art of sustainable and large scale solar-to-chemical conversion and storage approximately 3.5 billion years ago with the emergence of oxygenic photosynthesis. Currently, scientists are striving to mimic and out-compete this process using purely synthetic regimes in a field known as artificial photosynthesis, which has the aim of delivering fossil-free renewable energy solutions. However, sustainable and large-scale artificial photosynthetic systems have not yet been demonstrated. Here, I propose how we can integrate the strengths from both natural and artificial photosynthesis to result in a new renewable biohybrid approach for solar energy conversion.
Undergraduate speakers:
Mohamed Katish (he/ him)
Minority Making Major Contribution in Renewable EnergyClare Xie Yijia (she/her)
My unexpected encounter with computational chemistry
Chair: Prof Karen Faulds
19th May 2021, 16:00 GMT
Keynote speaker: Dr Zoe Ayres - More than a chemist: Defining my worth
This talk will cover Zoë's chemistry career so far, going from a forensic science undergraduate to a Senior Scientist for an international water company. The talk will focus not on academic success, but the factors that influenced the route Zoë has taken, and the story behind what motivates her diversity and inclusion work.
Undergraduate speakers:
Caitlin Sargeant (she/her)
Exploring Solid-Liquid Interactions in Heterogeneous Catalysts with NMR Relaxation MeasurementsShivani Joshi (she/her)
Assessing the Effect of Formula Variations on the Performance of Thin-Film Sol Gel Coatings
Chair: Prof Andrew Goodwin
