'Frontiers of Polymer Science' Meeting

The Frontiers of Polymer Science awards meeting

On the 21^st July 2009, The Macro Group UK held its annual awards meeting the 'Frontiers of Polymer Science', in Sheffield in the UK. The meeting was a successful event where four annual awards were presented to scientists from around the world, who have made outstanding contributions within the field of polymer science.

Dr Aline Miller, from Manchester and Dr Rachel O'Reilly, from Warwick, were jointly awarded the annual 'UK Young Researchers Medal'; an award presented to young scientists (under the age of 36) whose contributions to polymer science show outstanding promise for the future.

David Haddleton presenting Aline Miller with the UK Young Researchers Award

The annual 'Macro Group UK Medal' was awarded to Professor Steven Howdle, from Nottingham, a scientist who has made a substantial contribution to UK polymer science. Professor Howdle has been at the forefront of the use of supercritical CO₂ as a green solvent to process polymeric systems and to synthesise new polymers with advantageous morphologies, the most commercially interesting of which are metal-polymer nanocomposites and tissue engineering scaffolds. Professor Howdle founded Critical Pharmaceuticals, a company spun-out from his research into the use of supercritical CO₂ for polymer processing.

David Haddleton presenting Prof. Steven Howdle with the Macro Group UK Medal

The prestigious 'Macro Group UK Medal for Outstanding Achievement' is awarded biannually to a scientist based anywhere in the world who has made outstanding contributions to the field of polymer science. This award was presented to Professor Markus Antonietti. He became Director of the Max Planck Institute in 1993, as one of the youngest holders of this post ever and took over an Institute of the former Academy of Sciences of the GDR and restructured it to a modern European Science Institution. Professor Antonietti gave an inspirational lecture on the use of renewable materials for future energy and materials needs.

David Haddleton presenting Prof. Markus Antonietti with the Macro Group UK Medal for Outstanding Achievement

All those who were presented with an award and medal will deliver a medal award lecture at an appropriate Macro Group UK meeting in the near future. Further details of each award and their respective winners may be found at The Macro Group UK Website below.

David Haddleton, Chair of The Macro Group UK and Editor-In-Chief for the RSC Journal, Polymer Chemistry.