Published on 05 December 2017
Globally renowned Professor Mel Euerby visited the University’s Sciences Complex for what was his first official outing as The Chromatographic Society Lecturer.
This position was set up in keeping with the Society's aim of furthering the development of chromatography, so that Professor Euerby could get out to universities to highlight the importance and scope of chromatography in everyday life and across a wide range of industries.
The expectation is that with an increased awareness of just how much can be done with chromatography, more young scientists might look to chromatography as a career.
By special request at Sunderland, Professor Euerby concentrated on the practical aspects of chromatography. His talk was very well received and afterwards he spent time answering questions from an enthusiastic audience.
Before the lecture, Professor Euerby visited Sunderland's analytical instrumentation teaching facility.
Dr John Lough, a Reader in the University's Department of Health Sciences and Well-being, said: “It was a pleasure to have a globally acknowledged expert such as Mel come to Sunderland to engage with our students. Before his seminar, he enjoyed talking to our final year BSc BioPharmaceutical Sciences (BPS) students as they went about their method development exercise in our analytical instrumentation laboratories.
“This is just one of the many engagement activities we provide our students with access to experts in their field. Over the years we have had many visits for workshops and lectures from leading scientists from GSK, AstraZeneca, Pfizer etc. Improving the students’ experience."
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He added: “Since the inception of the BSc BioPharmaceutical Sciences degree we have had visitors from the British Pharmacopoeia, Vectura, Envigo and the Institute of Global Health Innovation, holding workshops and Q&A sessions even at first year level.”
The Chromatographic Society is an international organisation devoted to the promotion of knowledge on all aspects of chromatography and related separation techniques. It was first established as the Gas Chromatography Discussion Group in 1956.
Professor Mel Euerby holds professorships at the University of Strathclyde (2002 – present) and The Open University (2009 – present). Previously, he held the position of Head of Research & Development and Training at Hichrom Ltd (2008 – 2016). Before that he worked for 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry (1988 – 2008) where he had global responsibilities for separation science at AstraZeneca.
In 2007 he was awarded the Jubilee Silver Medal for chromatography by the Chromatographic Society. He has one hundred and sixteen publications in peer-reviewed journals in the area of separation science and organic chemistry and is a referee for numerous internationally renowned journals.