Cornforth Medal

The Cornforth Medal is awarded annually to a financial RACI member for the most outstanding PhD thesis submitted in a branch of chemistry, chemical science or chemical technology in the previous thirteen months. The medal is designed to give recognition of outstanding achievement in chemistry and to promote chemical communication. The medal bears the profile of Sir John Cornforth AC CBE FRS and the words “For a Thesis on Chemical Research”.

DR. MOHAMMAD CHOUCAIR

His Honours project resulted in the initial solvothermal synthesis of graphene; realising the significance of this, he continued on to do a PhD.

Dr Mohammad Choucair (Associate member) was born in Sydney to parents who immigrated from Lebanon in 1978. Schooled through the public system, he had natural talent in science, which was noted at an early age. He was selected to a Gifted and Talented Camp for Science & Technology at the age of 11, representing the St George district of Sydney.

Dr Choucair did a BSc (Nanotechnology) at the University of New South Wales in 2003, finishing with Honours Class 1 in 2007. His Honours project resulted in the initial solvothermal synthesis of graphene; realising the significance of this, he continued on to do a PhD, completing this in 2010. During this time, he also completed a Graduate Certificate in Research Management and Commercialisation (2008–10), furthering his interest in the commercialisation of research findings. He has received many awards, including an Australian Postgraduate Award and an ARCNN Fellowship to the University of Cambridge and for a period was a guest contributor to Chemistry in Australia.

After finishing his PhD, Dr Choucair has continued to work in the sphere of nanotechnology, and more specifically graphene, as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Parma, Italy, under Professor Mauro Ricco. To date, he has published five papers, with three others currently in press. His most significant article (Nature Nanotech. 2009 4, 30–3) currently has over 120 citations.