It’s surreal to write this, but I have been awarded a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship (FLF). The project, titled ‘Transition State Imaging’, is valued at £2.4m, making it the largest FLF awared to-date, and will define the direction of the group over the coming decade. Over the coming year or so, we will commission a brand-new instrument to perform Coulomb explosion imaging (CEI) experiments on mass-selected molecular anions. The big picture objective is to bring CEI to broader classes of chemical reactions, e.g., bimolecular reactions in small clusters, solvent-mediated dynamics, and electron-driven chemistry.
Shortly, we will begin recruiting postdoctoral researchers, and a technician. So, stay tuned for any announcements there. Our new Carbide laser and multi-pass compression cell are set to be delivered in January 2027, and will mark the beginning of the project, in earnest.
I’d be remiss to not thank the many people who’ve supported me up until this point in my career; for their patience, guidance, enthusiasm, and their willingness to challenge me. I won’t name names, but I’m extremely grateful for the opportunities you’ve given me.
Anyway, I’ll stop before it all gets too sentimental. I’m excited to see what comes next.