Mysteries of Antarctica and other big questions to be pursued with Royal Society support

The University Research Fellowships are awarded to early career researchers with great potential in their fields. This year, four researchers have been awarded grants to pursue projects and build their careers here at Durham.  

Dr Guy Paxman, from our Department of Geography, will explore the geology underneath the Antarctic ice sheet and what it can tell us about how the ice behaves, including how quickly it will melt in the coming years. 

The geology of 99% of Antarctica is hidden by the ice sheet, making it difficult to understand how the ice will respond to climate change. Dr Paxman hopes to fill this massive gap in our knowledge to help us predict – and prepare for – future melt. 

The other three awardees are: 

Dr Susannah Bourne-Worster, whose research focuses on designing photocatalysts for the circular economy: environmental control of chromophore photochemistry. 

Dr Alexander Guttridge, whose research explores programmable assembly of ultracold molecules in optical lattices. 

Dr Filip Szczypinski, who works in the area of computer-aided supramolecular chemistry. 

We look forward to seeing everything the four will accomplish with the Royal Society’s support. 

Find out more  

• Read more about the work of Dr Guy Paxman. 
• Our Department of Geography is ranked 16th in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024. Visit our Geography webpages for more information on our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.