Professor Nguyen T. K. Thanh FRSC

Chemistry itself, because I liked going to the lectures, but the practical classes were really fun as well. I think, until now, I could not see of doing something else. I could have an idea of what nanomaterials would be interesting for biomedical application, but we really need to make them in the lab, then eagerly wanting to know if it turns out what we want it to be after physical characterisation, it is really fascinating.

A sense of achievement and doing something good for humanity.

Follow your heart, if you really like to do something, go for it. Chemistry is at the centre, you can expand your horizon in many different directions, you can work with so many amazing people in many different disciplines.

I have various ongoing projects (fundamental and applied) and two of them are moving toward commercialisation. One of them is the study of small iron oxide as a T1 MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) contrast agent to replace the mainstream gadolinium, which cannot be used with patients having kidney failure. Furthermore, gadolinium has been found in drinking water in big cities and the amount can only increase with time, as there is currently no method for removing it.

Another project is designed to facilitate the translation of super heating iron oxide nanoflowers (NF) to clinical magnetic hyperthermia cancer treatment. Our NFs are unique, with their three times higher heating rates compared to commercially available nanoparticles. They have exceptional colloidal stability, can be synthesised simply and quickly, and thus have potential for production at large-scale at significantly reduced costs. We collaborate with industry to assure compliance to the high standards of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).

Everything you touch, feel, eat, breathe, and even your sleep is related to chemistry. Without chemical knowledge, we would not live like the way we do today.

Having a PhD not in pure chemistry but biological related was a real highlight. It gave me confidence that I could go in any direction of research if I wanted to.

To keep the right balance between work and non-work activity. I am interested in so many different things, but I also love my work, so a bit of a tug of war.

We work as a team and everyone has inputs. We have group meetings where students from different projects learn from each other and give their own perspectives. I like it when the students have their own drive in the area that they love, so they can fulfil their potential.

All major challenges in the world need chemical sciences, from healthcare, climate change, energy, to food, cyber, space or military security.

Two heads are better than one, so the team effort will make it a bigger sum of its parts. Teamwork is also fun: the social and human aspects of the collaboration are really important. Work is an important part of our lives, and having colleagues who can understand your work life makes things so much easier.

Fe. My work in the last 20 years has related to iron oxide nanoparticles. Iron is an amazing element, it can be magnetic, can be very explosive and yet it is vital for your body as an essential element, and we can now even make nanoparticles out of them for various diagnostic tools and therapeutics including cancer treatment. It can have many different other applications in the environment (treatment of contaminated soil/water) and in agriculture. It is in the top ten of the most abundant elements in the universe.