Did you miss me?
Sorry for being so quiet of late, but I do have a good excuse. I started a new postdoc position in England last month, and of course that brings a significant amount of hassle (not to mention a disruption in internet access) that has prevented my posting (or pontificating) recently.
So a quick summary of the highlights of my time in Belfast:-
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After only two years, I FINALLY found a hit against my target, a mere four weeks before I was due to leave. Of course, it is very early days for this project, but at least I wasn’t beaten by a teeney-weeney protein!! Unfortunately, there will be no papers from my research for the foreseeable future, but I did attend two major international conferences (ACS Med. Chem. in Minneapolis in the summer of 2010 and ISACS5 in Manchester in 2011) and presented a poster on my own independent project at one.
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YMS 2010. And everything that came from it. Definitely one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. Also one of the most stressful and frustrating, but every silver lining has a cloud. In one of lives little co-incidences, YMS 2012 will be hosted by the East Midlands Local Section, where I am now based. Not sure I have the strength to go through it all again, but will certainly lend a hand if asked.
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Becoming a STEMNet Ambassador. These guys helped my get into so many schools, and give talks and demonstrations. It was amazing fun, and a definite boost to my communication skills. I also have to acknowledge my employer (Queen’s) and supervisor (Prof. David Haigh) for letting me take the odd day off here and there to do these things.
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And finally, this gem of a picture!
The coolest chemist ever.... and Lord Kelvin!!
I know I owe you a post on the outcomes of the meeting with RSC staff, which I hope to have up by the end of the month. Until then, thanks for reading.
