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Meet our new academic staff from the Department of Chemistry

Our interview series introduces new staff who started this academic year in the Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences.

In this instalment we spoke to Adam Sedgwick and Tim Nott from the Department of Chemistry, asking them about the exciting projects they're working on, the biggest misconceptions people have about the discipline and what they get up to in their spare time. . 

 
Dr Adam Sedgwick

Dr Adam Sedgwick is a Lecturer in Chemistry. Adam’s research interests are towards advancing new concepts in molecular imaging, and drug discovery, through small molecule synthesis. 

 

 

What first attracted you to the field of Chemistry?

From an early age, I was always fascinated by how things were made and worked. Chemistry deals with the basic building blocks of life and by synthesising molecules, you can begin to answer and solve questions in the real world. These reasons naturally led me to stumble into chemistry at the University level and get me to where I am today.

 

Tell us about something you are working on at the moment - what is exciting about it?

For cancer treatment, we can use powerful medications (chemotherapeutics) that are designed to change the functions of cellular processes. However, these medications often cannot distinguish between diseased and healthy cells. Prodrugs, drugs that become active in the body, use cancer-related biological traits to activate chemotherapeutics within solid tumours, and therefore offer a potential “personalised” solution in cancer treatment. We are currently developing new synthetic systems that can be visualised using molecular imaging techniques, allowing us to better understand these treatments could work.

 

What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about Chemistry?

Not knowing how multidisciplinary chemistry is. When I tell people that I work in chemistry, they think that I am Harry Potter making new potions.

 

What advice would you give to someone considering studying Chemistry?

Work in a research area that will get you out of bed in the morning. Have fun and be curious about everything. If a result doesn’t turn out the way you expect, think if that result could mean something potentially even more impactful!

 

Aside from Chemistry, what do you do in your spare time?

I really enjoy exercise as it always helps clear my mind. In fact, I am running London Marathon 2024 for Epilepsy Action.

Dr Tim Nott

Dr Tim Nott is a Reader in Chemical Biology. His research interest lies in cellular compartment, or the process by which cells create internal compartments like mitochondria.

What first attracted you to the field of Chemistry?

A fascination with how chemical principles shape life as we know it.

 

Tell us about something you are working on at the moment - what is exciting about it?

I am working on how and why living cells create internal compartments, or organelles, that lack an enclosing membrane. It’s exciting to be shedding new light on cellular compartments that have been observed for several hundred years, and that play important roles in human health and disease.

 

What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about Chemistry?

That it’s something magical between two people.

 

What advice would you give to someone considering studying Chemistry?

Approach chemistry with an open mind. It’s a subject that could lead you in many different, interesting, and unexpected directions.

 

Aside from Chemistry, what do you do in your spare time?

I love being a dad and going on family adventures. I also get a kick out of cycling, skating, cooking, and lots of different kinds of music.

 

In this story

Adam C.  Sedgwick

Adam C. Sedgwick

Lecturer in Chemistry

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