Profile

I’m Professor of Chemical Physics at Heriot-Watt University. I was the first person to hold a Chair in Chemical Physics at any Scottish University after returning to Scotland in 2006. I studied chemistry at Heriot-Watt University to PhD before moving to Norwich and the University of East Anglia. I was the youngest Lecturer in Physical Chemistry in the UK for a few years after that. I then moved to the University of Nottingham where I was promoted to Professor.

I come from a Carronshore in the Falkirk area and went to Larbert High School. I’m left-handed! I was also one of the founding members of Falkirk Youth Theatre when I was at Primary School!

Molecules control the modern Universe. They help stars and planets form; they control the size of stars; and they seed the Universe with the potential for life. Take a look at – http://www.stars-r-us.org – to get a little more information. My research group focuses on aspects of how small molecules are formed on and in icy dust grain and how these molecules are returned to the gas phase where they can be most readily observed. Have a look here – http://www.astrochemistry.hw.ac.uk – for a little more detail.