University of Warwick scientist honoured for early career success in chemistryUniversity of Warwick scientist honoured for early career

By iednewsdesk On Dec 15, 2020

Professor Matthew Gibson from University of Warwick’s Department of Chemistry and Warwick Medical School has been awarded the 2021 McBain Medal by the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Society of Chemical Industry
Professor Matthew Gibson, Department of Chemistry and Warwick Medical SchoolUniversity of Warwick chemist Professor Matthew Gibson is the recipient of a prestigious award in recognition of his early career success.

Professor Gibson has been awarded the 2021 McBain Medal, given annually by the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Colloid and Interface Science Group and the Society of Chemical Industry Colloid and Surface Science Group to “honour an early career researcher or technologist who has made a meritorious contribution to colloid and interface science”. There will be a special symposia in December 2021 where Professor Gibson will receive the medal and present a lecture.

Professor Gibson holds a joint appointment between the Department of Chemistry and Warwick Medical School, where his group uses biomaterials to address important problems in human health. This includes developing new cryoprotectants inspired by extremophiles and new tools for glycobiology.

For the past 10 months, the Gibson Group has diverted its attention to the COVID-19 pandemic and is developing an easy to use, affordable rapid diagnostic, with exciting new results on this work coming soon.

Professor Gibson is currently a Royal Society Industry Fellow and also holds an ERC Consolidator Grant. He is the third member of Warwick’s Department of Chemistry to receive the award since it was established in 2006.

Professor Gibson said: “I am really honoured to receive this award, which recognises the work conducted by my team in the past 10 years here at Warwick. Our work cuts across a lot of disciplinary boundaries, and being recognised for the colloid and interface work we undertake was a very nice pre-Christmas surprise.

“Needless to say, once we are through this pandemic – and I would like to highlight how great it was to hear that our local NHS Trust University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire delivered the first COVID vaccine in the UK last week – the team and I will celebrate properly!”