From the solar system to the cell membrane: Royal Society funds new research fellowships at Imperial

Imperial early researchers receive a career boost, thanks to Royal Society Research Fellowships - News

By Danielle Reeves and Colin Smith
Wednesday 2 December 2009

Four early-career engineers and scientists at Imperial have received a career boost from the Royal Society, with new 2009 University Research Fellowships.

The University Research Fellowship scheme has been designed by the Royal Society to provide outstanding scientists, who have the potential to become leaders in their chosen fields, with the opportunity to build an independent research career. The scheme is extremely competitive and the Fellows are expected to be strong candidates for permanent posts in universities at the end of their fellowships. Imperial’s new University Research Fellows are among 38 awarded by the Royal Society across the UK in October.

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The four researchers at Imperial are working on diverse five-year projects: Dr Zita Martins is studying organic signatures of life in the Solar System, in the Department of Earth Science and Engineering; Dr David Drew is analysing the structure of proteins found in the membranes of human cells, in the Department of Life Sciences; Dr Sean Barrett is working on computation in quantum systems, in the Department of Physics; and Dr Salvador Navarro-Martinez is modelling the size and shape of liquid droplets in sprays, in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

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We went to meet Dr David Drew and Dr Salvador Navarro-Martinez to find out more about the work they will be doing during their fellowship – check out the videos on the right to find out more.