ChemNEWS

I am excited to be introducing this, our first ChemNEWS in a while, and my first as Head of School. When I outlined my vision for our School during the HOS appointment process, I began with two questions: What are we, the School of Chemistry, here for? and Where are we going next? We each…

Reconnecting with Sydney Chemistry alumni Dr Yu Heng Lau Yu Heng is a Senior Lecturer, chemical biologist, and the new Director of Alumni and External Engagement for the School of Chemistry. His research focuses on the chemical and synthetic biology of peptides and proteins for drug discovery and biocatalysis. The Sydney Chemistry Alumni Project Over…

Dr Kaye Minkyung Kang is a new lecturer, ARC DECRA fellow, and research group leader in the School of Chemistry. Her research centres on electrochemistry, probing electrode-electrolyte interfaces at the nanoscale to develop next-generation energy materials. Unveiling Structure-Activity Relationships of Electrodes via Unique Nanotechnology Electrochemistry, once a small branch of physical chemistry, has now permeated…

Dr Shane Wilkinson Shane is an education-focused lecturer in the Chemical Education and Communication Research (CECR) theme and the current director of the first-year teaching laboratories. His research interests focus on laboratory pedagogy and the use of augmented reality (AR) as a tool in chemical education. How COVID changed the first year teaching laboratories During…

Prof. Deanna D’Alessandro Deanna is a Professor of Chemistry and the inaugural Director of the Net Zero Initiative. Her research focuses on the development of advanced materials to improve sustainability through carbon dioxide capture and conversion. The Net Zero Initiative The Net Zero Initiative (NZI) was launched by the Faculty of Engineering in March 2022…

Dr Shelley Wickham Shelley is a Senior Lecturer in Chemistry and Physics. Her research focuses on DNA origami – a technology for building programmable DNA nanostructures with applications in cell biology, material science, and nanomedicine. $3 million AUSMURI funding for 3D biomolecular nanomaterials Our team in the DNA nanotechnology group are part of a large…

Prof. Chiara Neto Chiara is a Professor of Chemistry and the Chief Scientific Officer of Dewpoint Innovations. Her research focuses on the physical chemistry of interfaces, to help design surfaces that have advanced functional properties such as superhydrophobicity and patterned coatings. School start-up company Dewpoint Innovations In August 2022, Prof. Chiara Neto and her team…

Major funding for School of Chemistry Spinout After a decade of searching for molecules capable of interacting with oxytocin receptors in the brain, Prof. Michael Kassiou and his team have forged a major new partnership which could help realise treatments for psychiatric disorders such as dementia, depression, and schizophrenia. Kassiou’s company, Kinoxis, recently signed a $273…

Recently ChemNEWS caught up with three former students, all of whom first walked into the School of Chemistry in February 1962, that is, over 22 thousand days ago! ChemNEWS wonders how many readers recognise these three and know the unique place they occupy in the History of the School …  All did Chemistry 1 (Special)…

Cornforth Lecture (Monday October 9th, 4-6 pm, Susan Wakil Building) This year, our guest lecturer will be Professor Morten Meldal from the University of Copenhagen. Professor Meldal was awarded a share of the 2022 Nobel Prize for the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry. Ruth Gall Lecture (Tuesday October 10th, 11-12 pm, Chemistry Lecture Theatre 3) Coupled with the…