QUEEN'S SCIENTIST WINS ROYAL SOCIETY OF CHEMISTRY AWARD 

09 May 2017

The prestigious 2017 Theophilus Redwood Award, which is given to a leading analytical scientist who is also an outstanding communicator, has gone to Professor Chris Elliott, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences at Queen's.

Professor Elliott received the award for the ‘development, application and promotion of analytical chemistry in protecting the global food supply’.

The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) is the world’s leading chemistry community, advancing excellence in the chemical sciences. With over 50,000 members and a knowledge business that spans the globe, the RSC is the UK’s professional body for chemical scientists.

Chris Elliott, a Professor of Food Safety at Queen’s, also serves as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the University. He has published more than 350 peer review articles, many of them relating to the detection and control of agriculture, food and environmental related contaminants. His main research interests are in the development of innovative techniques to provide early warning of toxin threats across complex food supply systems.

Founder of the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s – which plays a major role in delivering safe, sustainable and authentic food to the world’s population – Professor Elliott investigates the contamination of food by accidental or deliberate means, including food fraud and food terrorism.

He explained: “Contaminated food can come from any part of the world and be part of a very complex global supply system. Once we track the cause and sources of the contamination we work alongside governments and industry to prevent such issues reoccurring.”

Accepting the award – £2,000, a medal and a certificate – he said: “I was overwhelmed with the news that I have received such as prestigious award from The Royal Society of Chemistry.

“It is such a strong endorsement that the research conducted by myself and my team is playing a meaningful role in both protecting and informing the public around some of the major issues that arise in our good food supply system.”

Dr Robert Parker, chief executive of the RSC said: “It is an honour to celebrate the innovation and expertise of our community through our prizes and awards.

“We know that chemistry can be a powerful force for good, and quality research and communication of that research are more important than ever before.

“Our charitable mission is to advance excellence in the chemical sciences, and we are proud to celebrate our inspiring and influential winners, who share that mission.”

Award winners are evaluated for the originality and impact of their research, as well as the quality of the results, which can be shown in publications, patents, or even software. The awards also recognise the importance of teamwork across the chemical sciences, and the abilities of individuals to develop successful collaborations.

An illustrious list of 50 previous winners of the RSC’s awards have gone on to win Nobel Prizes for their pioneering work, including all of the 2016 chemistry winners, Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Fraser Stoddart and Ben Feringa.

For media enquiries, contact Suzanne Lagan on +44 (0)28 9097 5292
 

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