Being black or from a global majority ethnic background with a successful career in the chemical sciences
14 December 2021
Online
Notable academics will narrate their professional journeys, highlighting obstacles and opportunities.
The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) will provide pointers on how to develop a successful career in the chemical sciences.
You are cordially invited to join us for the following sessions (UK time):
09:30 -13:15 (webinar) to listen to inspiring recorded conversations with the keynote speakers.
The live Zoom sessions will be:
13:30 RSC Career and professional development talk; this is for science students, lecturers, and researchers of all ethnicities.
14:00 – 15:30 Panel discussion - All are invited.
This session will be conversations with academics from the global majority ethnic backgrounds who have developed successful careers in the chemical sciences to inspire and motivate us.
Please see the full schedule below.
Keynote Speakers
ACADEMIC EXPERTS
Professor Robert Mokaya
PhD, OBE
FOLLOW
Professor of Materials Chemistry, University of Nottingham
Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement at the University of Nottingham
Royal Society Wolfson Research Award Holder (2017-22)
02
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY
Keynote Speakers
ACADEMIC EXPERTS
Professor Winston Morgan
PhD
01
TOXICOLOGY AND CLINICAL BIOCHEMISTRY
Professor of Applied Toxicology, Equity and Inclusive Practice and Director of Impact and Innovation in the school of Health Sport and Bioscience at the University of East London.
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (FRSB).
My primary area of research and teaching is in Toxicology, Pharmacology and Clinical Biochemistry. Toxicologist are always interested in small changes in chemical structures that can alter their reactivity with cellular macromolecules. I am also involved in research and scholarly activity into factors particularly race which determines societal outcomes in higher education and medicine. Over the last 18 months, I have written or contributed to numerous articles and given presentations, appeared in the media on the impact COVID-19 on Black people, on vaccine hesitancy (agency), and used my knowledge of Toxicology to explain why scientists and governments can say the new COVID-19 vaccines are safe. Media contributions include the Guardian, The Times, The Independent, the Standard, Metro, Sky News, The Conversation, YouTube, NPR in the USA, Channel 4, and on numerous occasions on BBC TV and radio nationally and locally. Many of my articles focus on the intersection of race, education, ethnicity, genetics, medicine, and medical racism in societal outcomes.
Dr Cynthia Ibeto
PhD
Associate Professor of Environmental/Analytical Chemistry, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nigeria
Schlumberger Faculty for the Future Fellow
Affiliate of the African Academy of Sciences
Member of the UK Research and Innovation Peer Review College
Fellow of the Chemical Society of Nigeria (FCSN)
Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (MRSC)
Coordinator, Women in Chemistry (Nigeria)
04
ENVIRONMENTAL/ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
FOLLOW
Professor Franklin Aigbirhio
DPhil
06
MOLECULAR IMAGING CHEMISTRY
FOLLOW
Professor of Molecular Imaging Chemistry at the Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge
Senior Research Fellow, Magdalene College, Cambridge
Co-Chair University of Cambridge Racial Equality Network
Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC)
Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci)
Professor Joshua Boateng
PhD
08
PHARMACEUTICS AND DRUG DELIVERY
FOLLOW
Professor of Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, University of Greenwich
2009: Winner of Early Career Researcher Excellence Award, University of Greenwich
Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
Fellow of the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences (FAPS)
Member of the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MAPS)
Member of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Editorial Advisory Board, Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Professor Amilra (AP) De Silva
PhD
09
Professor of Organic Chemistry,
Queen’s University, Belfast, UK
Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry
Member of the Royal Irish Academy
Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, Sri Lanka
He invented the experimental field of molecular logic-based computation.
He established the generality of the fluorescent PET sensing principle – a principal tool for molecular sensing.
He contributed to the chemistry module of the Roche OPTI blood gas and electrolyte analyser.
ENVIRONMENTAL/ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
Dr Fideline Tchuenbou-Magaia
PhD
Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering and coordinator for outreach for the School,
University of Wolverhampton, UK
Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
2020 Lecturer of the Year for the faculty of Science and Engineering
Member of The Institution of Chemical Engineers
07
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING &
FOOD TECHNOLOGY
Professor Ting-Chao (David) Chou
PhD
05
PHARMACOLOGY
Founder of Preclinical Pharmacology Core, PD Science, LLC. Professor of Pharmacology (retired in 2013), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA.
In 1976, he introduced the pharmacodynamics (PD)/Biodynamics (BD) General Theory and the Median-Effect Equation of the Mass-Action Law (MAL), as the Unified Theory for BD/PD and Bioinformatics (BI). The new paradigm allowed the generation of dose-effect curves by automated computer simulation, forming the basis for Econo-Green biomedical research and development. He co-developed the Combination Index (CI) Theorem, CalcuSyn, and CompuSyn software.
Dr Don Green
PhD
03
PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
Acting Head of Student Experience and Academic Outcomes
Principal lecturer in molecular biosciences, and also serves as the liaison tutor for the London Metropolitan University, UK collaborative links with Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SUTCM). He’s the Acting Head of Student Experience and Academic Outcomes.
Dr Pontsho Moela
PhD
10
GENETICS AND CANCER RESEARCH
FOLLOW
Lecturer in the Department of Genetics and Researcher of Cancer Genetics, University of Pretoria, Tshwane, South Africa
Fellow of the South African New Generation of Academics Program (NGAP), 2016 - present
Fellow of the TUKS (University of Pretoria) Young Research Leadership Program (TYRLP), 2017 - present
Fellow of the British Council Newton Fund Researcher (2019)
Member of the South African Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SASBMB)
Member of the European Association of Cancer Research (EACR)
Member of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR)
Laura Woodward
BSc, Post Graduate Diploma in Personnel and Development
Careers and Professional Development Specialist at the Royal Society of Chemistry
Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (MCIPD)
Experienced Career's Specialist providing support and guidance to those working across all sectors of chemistry
Skilled in advice and guidance, Career Counselling, Recruiting, Training, Mentoring and Employment Law
ROYAL SOCIETY OF CHEMISTRY
11
FOLLOW
Being black or from a global majority ethnic background with a successful career in the chemical sciences
Agenda
14 DECEMBER 2021
Chair: Dr Sandra Appiah, Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry, Middlesex University, UK
09:30
Opening conversation with Dr Kene Igweonu, Academic Dean of Faculty of Arts & Creative Industries, Middlesex University, UK
09:45
Professor Winston Morgan Professor in Toxicology and Clinical Biochemistry, University of East London, UK
Professor Robert Mokaya Professor of Materials Chemistry and Pro-Vice Chancellor for Global Engagement,
University of Nottingham, UK
10:10
10:30
Dr Don Green, Head of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, London Metropolitan University, UK
10:50
Dr Cynthia Ibeto, Associate Professor of Environmental/Analytical Chemistry, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nigeria
11:05
Professor Ting-Chao (David) Chou, Founder and Director of Preclinical Pharmacology Core (Retired), Professor of Pharmacology (Retired), Memorial Sloan Ketteing Cancer Center, New York, USA
11:25
Professor Franklin Aigbirhio, Professor of Molecular Imaging Chemistry, University of Cambridge, UK
11:45
Dr Fideline Tchuenbou-Magaia, Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, UK
12:10
Professor Joshua Boateng, Professor of Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, University of Greenwich, UK
12:35
Professor Amilra (AP) De Silva, Professor of Organic Chemistry,
Queen’s University, Belfast, UK
13:00
Dr Pontsho Moela, Lecturer in Genetics/Biochemistry University of Pretoria, City of Johannesburg, South Africa
Break to change from a webinar to live mode
13:30
Laura Woodward, Careers and Professional Development Specialist at the Royal Society of Chemistry
14:00
Panel discussion co-chaired by Dr Sandra Appiah and Prof. Winston Morgan
15:30
End of Event