Career Conversations: Q & A With Polymer Chemist Frank Leibfarth

Credit: Courtesy of Dr. Frank Leibfarth. “I love that you can change the molecular-level structure of a material, then pull it, bend it, or twist it and see firsthand how the molecular changes you introduced influence its stretchiness or bendiness,” says Frank Leibfarth Ph.D., an associate professor of chemistry at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. In an interview, Dr. Leibfarth shares with us his scientific journey, his use of chemistry to tackle challenges in human health and sustainability, and his beliefs on what makes a career in science exciting. Q: What led you to study chemistry? A: Being a first-generation college student from a small town in South Dakota, I didn’t really have much guidance in navigating the college process. I went without a plan, but I knew that I generally liked science and math. In my first-semester organic chemistry class, a light bulb went off. Until then, when I would push biology professors for more information about why or how the interaction between a molecule and a receptor would cause change in a cell, they couldn’t answer! Organic chemistry class was the first time I got concrete answers to those types of questions that I’d always naturally had. During that time, I was also inspired by the idea that researchers could actually study those interactions to learn what happens and not have to rely on cartoon models. That class was a launching point to a career in science for me. Q: What was your...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Being a Scientist Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Tools and Techniques Cool Tools/Techniques Profiles Source Type: blogs