Scientist wins innovation prize

Maidenhead: Dr Lucy Clark awarded for brilliant research

A Maidenhead scientist has won a prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry prize for research on materials which will shape the world of future technologies.

Dr Lucy Clark, who grew up in Maidenhead, has been named winner of the Materials Chemistry Division Early Career Award in recognition of ‘brilliance in research and innovation.’

Based at University of Birmingham, Dr Clark won the prize for outstanding contributions to the discovery and understanding of quantum magnets.

In short, quantum magnets help scientists understand the physical limits of matter.

This knowledge can help researchers create new materials, such as superconductors which are an important part of the future of high-speed computers.

Over the past century, materials research has had a significant impact on modern-day life, said the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Without this, we would lack the many advanced technologies we have come to rely on today.

A key challenge moving forwards is discovering new classes of materials with never-before-seen properties that push the limits of our understanding of the material world.

Dr Clark’s research aims to design new classes of such materials – known as quantum materials – predicted to have novel electronic and magnetic properties.

The doctor receives £3,000 and a medal for her work and joins a prestigious list of past winners, 60 of whom have gone on to win Nobel Prizes.

This included 2016 Nobel laureates Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Fraser Stoddart and Ben Feringa and 2019 Nobel laureate John B Goodenough.

After receiving the prize, Dr Clark said: “This prize highlights the vital role of materials chemistry within the field of quantum materials research, which I am incredibly passionate about.

Dr Helen Pain, chief executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said:

“Great science changes the way we think about things – through the techniques used, the findings, the products that emerge or in how we interact with the world.

“Although we are in the midst of negotiating a particularly turbulent and challenging era, it is important to celebrate successes and advances in understanding as genuine opportunities to improve our lives.

“The work of Dr Clark is a fantastic example of why we celebrate great science, and we’re very proud to recognise their contribution today.”