Kirstie Goggin (centre) and the Young Lipid Scientist Award Nominees
Kirstie Goggin, a KESS 2 participant from the University of South Wales, is one of six PhD students in the UK who was shortlisted by The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) for the ‘Young Lipid Scientist Award’ this year. On Monday 18th June 2018, shortlisted candidates were invited to present their work at an event in London which was attended by senior members of the UK and international chemical industries. Kirstie gave a 15-minute presentation titled, ‘Fast GC-IMS for Authenticating Geographical Provenance and Detecting Adulteration of Palm Oils’, which highlighted the exciting results from her PhD research.
Lipids are fundamental building blocks of all cells and play key roles in many different biochemical processes. They are a diverse group of organic compounds which includes fats and oils. Each year, the SCI recognises the achievements of younger researchers in the important field of lipid chemistry with its ‘Young Lipid Scientist Award’. The award recognises excellence and emerging talent in research related to lipids, in any field across the physical and life sciences and engineering.
Kirstie said: “it was an honour to have my research recognised via the shortlisting process. The [event] day provided me with an excellent opportunity to present my work to many senior industry figures and to also network with like-minded PhD researchers. It was also really good to learn more about the great research being conducted in other fields of lipid science. I thank the organisers for recognising my research.”
Kirstie’s research is part-funded by IMSPEX Diagnostics Ltd, a Wales-based SME that manufactures the analytical instruments which she uses for the analysis of vegetable oils. The research is also funded by a Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship (KESS 2) from the European Social Funds through the Welsh Government.
In further recognition of her work Kirstie has now been invited to present her latest research findings at a large international conference in Belfast organised by SCI and the European Lipid Federation (EuroFedLipid) in September 2018. She has also been asked to write a review article for the French-based journal, Oilseeds Crops and Lipids (OCL).
Find out more about Kirstie’s collaborative research project…
About the The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI)
The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) is one of the foremost bodies that links scientific research with its industrial application for public benefit. One of its most distinguished former members is Marie Stopes, the well-known campaigner for women’s rights who was a palaeobotanist, geologist and in 1903 became the first woman to be awarded a Doctorate of Science in the UK.
