Professor Angelos Michaelides

Winner: 2020 Surfaces and Interfaces Award

University College London

For outstanding contributions towards the understanding of complex aqueous interfaces and the formation of ice at such interfaces.

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The achievement one gets when the germ of an idea grows into a new theory or discovery is extremely motivating.
Professor Angelos Michaelides

Professor Angelos Michaelides’ work involves the use of high-performance supercomputers to better understand important problems at the interface between chemistry and physics. Topics currently under consideration in Professor Michaelides’ group include studies aimed at obtaining a molecular level description of water at interfaces and the formation of ice. Better understanding of these issues will be instrumental in the development of innovative solutions to some of the world's biggest water problems.

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Professor Angelos Michaelides obtained a PhD from The Queen's University of Belfast. Following this he held post-doctoral fellowships in Cambridge and Berlin. In 2006 he moved to University College London and since 2009 he has been a Professor of Theoretical Chemistry.

Research in Professor Michaelides’ team involves the development and application of computer simulation approaches to catalytic and environmental interfaces to help reach a fundamental new understanding of elementary processes at such interfaces. Water is a major focus of this work.

Since 2011 he has been Director or Co-Director of the Thomas Young Centre: The London Centre for the Theory and simulation of Materials and since 2017 the Director of the Materials and Molecular Modelling Hub. He is also a Deputy Editor of the Journal of Chemical Physics and currently holds the world record for the “fastest marathon dressed as a scientist (male)”.

Q+A

What motivates you?

The joy of learning new things and the sense of achievement one gets when the germ of an idea grows into a new theory or discovery.

Why do you think teamwork is important in science?

Modern science is increasingly about teams of people coming together with different skills, expertise and ways of thinking. Having a diverse team of people working on a problem greatly increases the prospects of new discoveries and is also often fun.

What is your favourite element?

I represent krypton on the RSC's periodic table podcast so I guess I should stick with that choice I made some ten years ago.

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