Michael Thompson

Cover image for The Analyst, click here for current issue

Interdisciplinary detection science

Professor Mike Thompson has been a Professor of Analytical Chemistry at the University of Toronto, Canada since 1976. Professor Thompson's research is centered on the fundamental aspects of molecular recognition at the solid-liquid interface, with particular emphasis on biosensor technology in diagnostics and drug discovery. Related research is concerned with new methods for the reproducible surface attachment of nucleic acids to DNA microarray domains and the development of label-free instruments for the detection of microarray nucleic acid and protein chemistry. He has published over 200 papers, 15 patents and 2 text books. Professor Thompson has received several awards for his work including the Fisher Scientific Lecture Award of the Canadian Society for Chemistry, the Ontario Council of University Faculty Associations Award for teaching excellence, and the Theophilus Redwood, the Industrially-Sponsored Chemical Analysis and Instrumentation Awards of the RSC. In 2002, the RSC presented him with the Boyle Gold Medal and in 2004 he was awarded the Steacie Prize of the CSC and the Elsevier Biosensors and Electronics Award. In 1998 he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. In the past three years he has been the Leverhulme Trust Visiting Professor at the University of Durham. Finally, he has served on several Editorial Advisory Boards and is currently Scientific Editor of the Analyst.