Johnson Matthey chemist wins prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry prize

Dr Christopher Barnard, a chemist who retired from Johnson Matthey in March 2015 after over 36 years at the company, is the Royal Society of Chemistry Creativity in Industry Prize winner for 2015

 

Dr Barnard, who worked at Johnson Matthey’s Technology Centre in Sonning Common, UK, is today recognised for his contributions to the chemical sciences industry.

His work on the chemistry of carboplatin helped its rapid approval in the UK for the treatment of ovarian cancer, and the development of the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) Manufacturing business of Johnson Matthey’s Fine Chemicals Division. He applied this experience to the regulatory submissions for a number of other platinum drug candidates.

Dr Barnard studied at the University of York completing his Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil) in organometallic chemistry in the 1970s. He has worked at Johnson Matthey for more than 36 years and retired in March. He remains a Scientific Consultant to the company.

“I’d like to thank all the people who have assisted me as part of the teams who developed the products that this award acknowledges”Speaking at the award presentation last night Dr Barnard said: “I’d like to thank all the people who have assisted me as part of the teams who developed the products that this award acknowledges. These include people not only from within Johnson Matthey, but from collaborating companies and institutions, such as the Royal Marsden Hospital and the Institute of Cancer Research. All of us worked as a very large team to get the drugs approved and my role was a small but necessary part.”

Steve Pleasance, Industry Manager at the Royal Society of Chemistry said: “The Industry and Technology Awards recognise the outstanding contributions made by industrial chemists, often working in teams, from the discovery, development and application of new chemicals, processes and / or technologies, through to improving STEM skills and encouraging the next generation of chemists.”

Dr Robert Parker, Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry said: “It is always a pleasure to recognise excellence in the chemical sciences and I am pleased to acknowledge the illustrious achievements of our prize and award winners this year.

“Whether they work in research, industry or academia, our winners are the very best in their fields, and they can be very proud to follow in the footsteps of some of the most influential and important scientists around the world.

“In a complex and changing world, chemistry and the chemical sciences are vital in responding to some of humanity’s biggest challenges and our prize and award winners are at the forefront of meeting that challenge.”

Prize winners are evaluated for the originality and impact of their research, as well as the quality of the results which can be shown in publications, patents, or even software. The awards also recognise the importance of teamwork across the chemical sciences, and the abilities of individuals to develop successful collaborations.



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