Nora de Leeuw

Nora de Leeuw
FRSC CChem MAE FLSW
Born
Nora Henriette de Leeuw
Alma materOpen University
University of Bath (PhD)
AwardsRoyal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award (2010)
Scientific career
FieldsComputational chemistry[1]
InstitutionsCardiff University
University of Reading
Birkbeck, University of London
University College London
Utrecht University
University of Paris-Est
ThesisAtomistic simulation of the structure and stability of hydrated mineral surfaces (1997)
Doctoral advisorStephen Parker
Websiteeps.leeds.ac.uk/staff/5852/professor-nora-de-leeuw

Nora Henriette de Leeuw FRSC CChem MAE FLSW is the inaugural executive dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences at University of Leeds. Her research field is computational chemistry and investigates biomaterials, sustainable energy, and carbon capture and storage.[2][1]

Early life and education

De Leeuw studied chemistry at the Open University and graduated in 1994.[3] She joined the University of Bath as graduate student, earning a PhD under the supervision of Stephen C. Parker [Wikidata] in 1997.[4][3] Her doctoral research considered polymorphs of calcium carbonate, which can be used for CO₂ sequestration.[5] She worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bath until 2000.

Research and career

De Leeuw is interested in computational models of energy materials, biomaterials and minerals.[6] She uses molecular dynamics and density functional theory. In 2000 she joined the University of Reading as a lecturer in Physical Chemistry. She was awarded an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Advanced Research Fellowship.[7] She worked as an associate professor in computational materials science at Birkbeck, University of London, from 2004.

She was appointed a professor of computational materials science at University College London in 2007. De Leeuw designed computational models of olivine dust grains, a mineral that is common to the solar system, and studied how it interacted with water at high temperatures.[8] She demonstrated that the grains could hold water at temperatures up to 630 °C.[9] She studied the chemistry of hot vents on the sea floor, which De Leeuw proposed could produce the organic molecules essential for life.[10] She has also investigated biomaterials, such as the carbonated hydroxyapatite present in bone and teeth.[11][12][13][14] She investigated the nucleation of calcium carbonate.[15] De Leeuw was awarded a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award in 2010.[16]

She was awarded a Royal Society industrial fellowship to study how radiation impacted materials for nuclear energy.[16] In 2014 De Leeuw was awarded an Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) William Penney Fellowship.[17] At University College London, De Leeuw directed the Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in molecular modelling & materials science.[18][19] She is also a member of the EPSRC programme on energy materials.[20][21] She uses computer-aided design to create new catalysts for the conversion of carbon dioxide to fuels.[6][22]

De Leeuw joined Cardiff University in 2015.[23] She was a member of the low-carbon economy research group, an EPSRC supported multi-institutional collaboration that looks to convert carbon dioxide to fuels and chemicals.[24][25] She led the Cardiff University - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology - University of Namibia Chem4Energy programme, which developed novel solar materials and benign catalysts.[3] She holds a professorship in theoretical geochemistry at Utrecht University and University of Paris-Est.[26][27]

At Cardiff University, de Leeuw worked on the university's European strategy and collaborations. These included Horizon 2020, the Erasmus Programme and the Bologna Process.[6]

On 31 May 2019, it was announced that de Leeuw would take up the newly created post of executive dean in the newly formed Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Leeds on 1 January 2020.[28]

Awards and honours

Her awards and honours include:

References

  1. ^ a b Nora de Leeuw publications indexed by Google Scholar Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ Nora de Leeuw publications from Europe PubMed Central
  3. ^ a b c "UK Team". chem4energy.org. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  4. ^ de Leeuw, Nora Henriette (1997). Atomistic simulation of the structure and stability of hydrated mineral surfaces. jisc.ac.uk (PhD thesis). University of Bath. OCLC 557374559. EThOS uk.bl.ethos.362195.
  5. ^ de Leeuw, Nora H.; Parker, Stephen C. (1998). "Surface Structure and Morphology of Calcium Carbonate Polymorphs Calcite, Aragonite, and Vaterite: An Atomistic Approach". The Journal of Physical Chemistry B. 102 (16): 2914–2922. doi:10.1021/jp973210f. ISSN 1520-6106.
  6. ^ a b c "Cardiff University". cardiff.ac.uk. Cardiff University. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  7. ^ "Professor Nora H. de Leeuw". chem4energy.org. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  8. ^ Shiga, David. "Earth may have had water from day one". New Scientist. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  9. ^ Drake, Michael J.; Stimpfl, Marilena; Deymier, Pierre; Muralidharan, Krishna; Putnis, Andrew; King, Helen E.; Catlow, C. Richard A.; Leeuw, Nora H. de (2010). "Where on Earth has our water come from?". Chemical Communications. 46 (47): 8923–8925. doi:10.1039/C0CC02312D. ISSN 1364-548X. PMID 20967372.
  10. ^ "Origin of life: Chemistry of seabed's hot vents could explain emergence of life". sciencedaily.com. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  11. ^ Leeuw, N. H. de (2010). "Computer simulations of structures and properties of the biomaterial hydroxyapatite". Journal of Materials Chemistry. 20 (26): 5376–5389. doi:10.1039/B921400C. ISSN 1364-5501. Closed access icon
  12. ^ "HPC Materials Chemistry Consortium Conference (2012 - UCL)". ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  13. ^ "HECToR » Materials Chemistry Consortium Highlights". hector.ac.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  14. ^ Streeter Ian; de Leeuw Nora H. (2011). "Binding of glycosaminoglycan saccharides to hydroxyapatite surfaces: a density functional theory study". Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences. 467 (2131): 2084–2101. Bibcode:2011RSPSA.467.2084S. doi:10.1098/rspa.2010.0559. PMC 3605794. PMID 23526875.
  15. ^ Tommaso, Devis Di; Leeuw, Nora H. de (2008). "The Onset of Calcium Carbonate Nucleation: A Density Functional Theory Molecular Dynamics and Hybrid Microsolvation/Continuum Study". The Journal of Physical Chemistry B. 112 (23): 6965–6975. doi:10.1021/jp801070b. PMID 18476732.
  16. ^ a b "Nora de Leeuw". royalsociety.org. London: Royal Society. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  17. ^ Leeuw, Nora H. de; Scanlon, David O.; Wills, Andrew S.; Storr, Mark T.; Shields, Ashley E.; Pegg, James T. (2019). "Magnetic structure of UO2 and NpO2 by first-principle methods" (PDF). Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 21 (2): 760–771. Bibcode:2019PCCP...21..760P. doi:10.1039/C8CP03581D. ISSN 1463-9084. PMID 30547167.
  18. ^ UCL (15 January 2018). "Welcome". Chemistry. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  19. ^ "Industrial Doctorate Centre: Molecular Modelling & Materials Science". ukri.org. United Kingdom Research and Innovation. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  20. ^ "Funding boost to develop new green energy materials". bath.ac.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  21. ^ "Energy Materials: Computational Solutions". energy-materials.moonfruit.com. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  22. ^ de Leeuw, Nora; Catlow, Richard; Silveri, Fabrizio; Quesne, Matthew George (2019). "Advances in sustainable catalysis: A computational perspective". Frontiers in Chemistry. 7: 182. Bibcode:2019FrCh....7..182Q. doi:10.3389/fchem.2019.00182. ISSN 2296-2646. PMC 6473102. PMID 31032245.
  23. ^ "Professor Nora de Leeuw - People". Cardiff University. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  24. ^ "The Project Team – Low carbon fuels research group". Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  25. ^ Anon (2019). "Utilisation of Solar Energy and Electrocatalytic Processes for the Low Energy Conversion of CO2 to Fuels and Chemicals". gow.epsrc.ukri.org. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  26. ^ "Professor Nora de Leeuw – China – United Kingdom Cancer (CUKC) Conference 2017". Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  27. ^ "Medewerkers - Universiteit Utrecht". uu.nl. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  28. ^ "New Executive Dean for Engineering & Physical Sciences". University of Leeds. 31 May 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  29. ^ "Nora de Leeuw | Royal Society". royalsociety.org. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  30. ^ Anon (2016). "Nora De Leeuw". learnedsociety.wales. Learned Society of Wales. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  31. ^ "Academy of Europe: de Leeuw Nora Henriette". ae-info.org. Retrieved 22 March 2019.