Davies Jacob

I studied Chemistry at the University of Bristol, UK with an industrial placement year at Schlumberger Gould Research, Cambridge. During this year at Schlumberger, I investigated the changes in dielectric properties of drilling fluids, complex emulsions that maintain pressure equilibrium and remove debris during oil-well drilling, with varying composition and temperature. After returning to Bristol, I completed a Masters research project under the supervision of Dr. Leonori. This project studied Nazarov cyclization's catalyzed by a calcium based Lewis acid, the first such example of an electrocyclic process promoted by Ca. After obtaining my MSci with honors, I undertook a PhD with Dr. Leonori as he began his independent research career at the University of Manchester. During this time, I was introduced to interdisciplinary research fields (visible light photocatalysis, electrochemistry and organometallic chemistry). My core research focused on the development of novel synthetic methodology to access nitrogen-centered radicals using visible-light as a sustainable energy source. After defending my PhD, I moved to Spain to broaden my research experience with Prof. Martin at ICIQ, Tarragona. During this time, I had the opportunity to broaden my knowledge of synthetic chemistry to include the activation of inert gaseous reagents, specifically carbon dioxide, as well as the integration photoredox catalysis with reductive nickel catalysis. Upon completing my MSCA-IF, I made a move to the ICIQ-AiCuris joint unit to gain experience of the drug discovery process. This collaborative project involved the synthesis of varied molecular scaffolds based on the biological data obtained from samples sent to AiCuris. I am currently facing new challenges outside of academic research in my new role as Journal Specialist with Frontiers. I am excited to be part of the growing movement towards Open access and to be pushing the boundaries of science publishing. My interests outside of work are highly varied: from climbing, trekking, snorkeling and skiing to gardening, cooking and playing the oboe. I like to challenge myself physically with multi-day hikes in the mountains and pushing my limits on the rock but mostly it is about getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life to more peaceful, natural surroundings.