Each year hundreds of the best and brightest researchers gather in Lindau, Germany, for the Nobel Laureate Meeting. There, the newest generation of scientists mingles with Nobel Prize winners and discusses their work and ideas. The 2013 meeting is dedicated to chemistry and will involve young researchers from 78 different countries. In anticipation of the event, which will take place from June 30 through July 5, we are highlighting a group of attendees under 30 who represent the future of chemistry. The following profile is the fifth in a series of 30.
Name: Anwen Krause-Heuer
Age: 26
Born: Sydney, Australia
Nationality: Australian
Current position: Postdoctoral fellow at Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization (ANSTO)
Education: BSc in chemistry (advanced science) and BSc in medicinal inorganic chemisty (honors) from the University of Western Sydney; graduate certificate in research commercialization from the University of Technology, Sydney; in final stages of obtaining PhD at the University of Western Sydney.
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What is your field of research?
I work in the area of fluorine 18 radiochemistry. I focus on both disease-related radiopharmaceuticals for positron emission tomography (PET) and fundamental radiochemistry.
What drew you to chemistry, and to that research area in particular?
I have always had a fascination for science and I had a fantastic chemistry teacher in high school who sparked my passion for the subject. My grandfather was a scientist at ANSTO for many years and it was always somewhere I hoped to work.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
There is no formal radiochemistry training provided in Australia universities, so I am still very new to the radiochemistry field. My goal over the next 10 years is to become an expert in the field of fluorine 18 radiochemistry and find new areas that this fundamental science can be applied to help solve research questions.
Who are your scientific heroes?
Marie Curie
What activities outside of chemistry do you most enjoy?
In my spare time I enjoy baking and going to the gym (to burn off the calories from the baking!).
What do you hope to gain from this year’s Lindau meeting?
As Australia is geographically isolated from the rest of the world, we have limited opportunities to meet new partners and potential collaborators. I am looking forward to expanding my breadth of chemistry knowledge and learning about other types of research that are being conducted around the world. Exposure to ideas and concepts that I never may have come across in the normal course of my career will assist me in designing and applying my fundamental radiochemistry knowledge and experience to new areas of research.
Are there any Nobelists whom you are particularly excited to meet?
Jean-Marie Lehn—I find supramolecular chemistry really interesting, and so I’m excited to hear from the person who helped define this field of chemistry.
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