Professor of Geochemistry in the Department of Earth Sciences Chris Greenwell has been named a Learned Society of Wales Fellow.
Chris is an internationally leading researcher in the earth sciences, with a focus on layered minerals such as clays. His work has found applications in a variety of industries.
He is one of 56 new LSW Fellows who were chosen from sectors including academia, public health, and culture to help advance Wales' economy and society through research and innovation.
As head of The Greenwell Group, Chris leads a team of Durham University students and staff who conduct experiments and computer simulations to learn more about how minerals in the Earth interact with the molecules around them.
This is a broad topic that encompasses a wide range of study. The Greenwell Group experiments on the composite materials that form the lightweight airframes used in the aerospace industry. They also learn more about catalysts for chemical transformations, discover the ways pollution interacts with minerals in the soil, and work to find out how early molecules may have formed at the origin of life.
The applications for this work are far reaching. The results inform the energy industry, material science, therapeutics — including better ways to deliver drug molecules — water filtration, and more.
With this award, Chris, who was born in Wales, adds another esteem indicator to his long list of accolades.
He also joins several Durham colleagues as a member of the LSW, including Professor of Theoretical Chemistry David Tozer, Professor of Engineering David Toll, Professor of Physics Ifan Hughes, and Professor of the Study of Religion Douglas Davies.
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