Profile

Photo:

Emma Gibson

    • About Me:

      I live in the west of Scotland and work at the university of Glasgow. I work in chemistry research during the day and I’m a mum.

    • Read more

      I investigate catalysts used in car exhausts, that help turn toxic and polluting gases into gases that are not so harmful (for people and the environment). But to make these catalysts work better we need to figure out how they behave inside the car exhaust (at high temperatures), to do that we use X-rays to look at them.

    • My Typical Day:

      My 3 year old wakes me up, we have breakfast and watch CBeebies. I get showered and get him dressed, then head to work. Some days I work in Glasgow, other days from home. If its a lab day, I try to help my students with practical problems they have in the lab. If its a work from home day, its usually meetings, or writing up results or marking papers.

    • Read more

      Lab days in Glasgow typically end up being spent changing gas cylinders, working with pipes and taps to build reactors. Its a bit like being a plumber but instead of having pipes to feed water from your boiler to your sink or shower, I’m trying to get gases to go from a cylinder to a reactor where it will pass through the powder material i want to study. We then measure what gases come out the other side to see if the reactions have happened.

       

    • What I'd do with the prize money:

      try to build an interactive demonstration of how X-rays are made and can be used to study chemistry. something small enough that can be taken to schools.

    My CV

    • Education:

      Queen Margaret Academy, Ayr

      University of Glasgow

    • Qualifications:

      Standard grades: Art&Design, Chemistry, English, French, Geography, Maths, Physics  (i’m sure there were 8 – can’t remember the last one)

      Highers: Art&Design, Chemistry, English, French and Maths

      6th year, Higher Physics, SYS Chemistry and higher Modern Studies

      Undergraduguate MSci in Chemistry with a work placement at Johnson Matthey in Billingham, Teeside, (North East England)

      PhD in Chemistry

       

       

    • Work History:

      2007-2011: did a post doc in Caen, France ( a short term research post, with Peugeot)

      2011-2013: anther post doc in the Netherlands,

      2013-2017: another post doc in Harwell, England in a lab next door to the synchrotron (where you get X-rays)

      Research Fellow position in Glasgow (2017)

    • Current Job:

      I work as a research fellow in Glasgow in the School of Chemistry. I have 5 PhD students who investigate a range of different reactions all with a focus on how to make the catalyst work better.

    • My Interview

      • How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

        works with X-rays

        What did you want to be after you left school?

        didn't know

        Were you ever in trouble at school?

        yes

        Who is your favourite singer or band?

        KT Tunstall

        What's your favourite food?

        chocolate

        If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!

        buy a house, win a successful research grant, become a lecturer

Questions answered by Emma

View all Emma's answered questions