Tonbridge's Scientists: Jeffrey Poon

In pursuit of Tonbridge's Scientists

2019 has been an extraordinary year for Science at Tonbridge. To mark the opening of the new Barton Science Centre, we asked Old Tonbridgians with a science background to write to us with their story. In the next pages, we hear from 9 OTs, whose experience demonstrate the wide range of job options available to science graduates, and many of whom have exploited the positive characteristics of their science-trained brains in some unexpected sectors.

Jeffrey Poon (FH 06-11)

PHD Student, Chemistry, University of Cambridge

Ever since my GCSE studies, I've known that I had an aptitude for science and applied mathematics. That, coupled with a desperate desire to get out of studying subjects that required me to write essays, led me to pursue physical science-based A level subjects, and to studying chemistry at Oxford. I always enjoyed chemistry lessons, in no small part thanks to the brilliant teaching of Dr Denis Cruse at Tonbridge, and its relevance to virtually all applied science. At first, I envisaged myself ending up in the fields of either pharmaceutical or synthetic chemistry. How wrong I was!

Whilst at Oxford, I found myself increasingly drawn to the studies of physical chemistry. This branch of chemistry applies experimental techniques and theories of physics into chemically-relevant systems. I was in awe of the power of experiments in rationalising behaviour, from the most mundane (why do water droplets form on glass?), to the very complex (what happens on the electrode surface inside a battery?). This led me to be interested in pursuing a career in research.

In summer 2013, I was awarded a RISE Scholarship funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The research placement was in Mainz, Germany for two months, to investigate synthesis of polycarbonates using gaseous carbon dioxide. The experience taught me two important life lessons. Firstly, no worthwhile results come without putting a significant amount of thought into controlling the possible variables. Good results take time.

Secondly, perhaps more importantly, is the need to take initiative. For the first two weeks (a quarter of my stay there), my experiments consistently yielded no results, despite repeated checking and careful preparation. It was then that I decided to compose a short memorandum, using what synthetic chemistry I already knew, explaining why I did not think the experiment would work on the reagents used. After much discussion, my supervisor was convinced, and we changed our approach. Subsequent experiments yielded excellent results and led to the publication of my first academic paper.

Jeffrey standing in front of a neutron Target Station 2 at ISIS Neutron Source

Later, I began working in the field of electrochemistry at Oxford. Using those important lessons I learned in Germany, I was relatively successful and published more papers by my graduation in 2015, including my first paper with me as the lead author. I couldn't escape essay writing after all! This success spurred me to continue further studies and led to my current post as a final year doctoral student at the University of Cambridge, studying industrially-relevant surface chemistry.

In my short academic career, it's struck me that my original perceptions of research were quite different from reality. This was particularly true during my doctoral studies, which taught me the importance of collaboration. The days of science being the purview of a few lone geniuses, if ever true, are long gone. The need for cooperative research is best demonstrated by publicly-funded facilities such as CERN, or the lesser-known Diamond Light Source and ISIS Neutron Source, which I'm lucky to have experienced first hand, while working there.

My plan now is to become an early career researcher. However, early career researchers in physical sciences now face a challenging career landscape, where the historically-enjoyed job security from permanent tenure is lost through new contract-based systems while compensation remains meagre for the high-level skills and long hours required from workers. As a result, many graduates are understandably being attracted to careers in the financial or commercial sectors, which pay far more, and often with limits on working hours. Science now faces a serious risk of ‘brain drain’. Most would sensibly ask why people would choose to continue pursuing an academic career. For me, there is nothing quite like the thrill of discovering something new for myself, with the aid of others, and meeting like-minded people combining their expertise to achieve greater insights into the mechanism of our world. I hope that, despite the difficulties highlighted, more Tonbridgians may be interested in choosing a research career and I certainly look forward to working with a few in the future.