Moville scientist awarded Royal Society of Chemistry prize

Professor Angelos Michaelides, who was born and raised in Moville, was yesterday confirmed as the Royal Society of Chemistry Corday-Morgan Prize winner for 2016.

Angelos is Professor of Theoretical Chemistry at University College London.

His work involves using computers to better understand important problems at the interface between chemistry and physics. One of his research group’s current studies is aimed at obtaining a molecular level description of water at interfaces and the formation of ice. The Corday-Morgan Prize recognises the most meritorious contributions to chemistry.

Following the announcement of the honour, Mr Michaelides said: “I am very honoured to have won the RSC’s Corday-Morgan Prize.I feel that this award acknowledges the hard work and dedication of the many excellent students, post-docs and collaborators our research team has had over the last few years.”

An illustrious list of 47 previous winners of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Awards have gone on to win Nobel Prizes for their pioneering work, including Harry Kroto, Fred Sanger and Linus Pauling.

Dr Robert Parker, chief executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry said: “It is an honour to recognise the illustrious achievements of our prize and award winners in our 175th anniversary year.

“We were founded in 1841 by a group of academics, industrialists and doctors who understood the power of the chemical sciences to change our world for the better.

“Our winners share that vision and are advancing excellence in their fields, whether through innovative research or inspirational teaching and outreach.

He added: “We are proud to celebrate and support the work of inspiring and influential individuals, whose work has the potential to improve so many lives.”

Prize 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.