Profile
Piers Townsend
My CV
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Education:
Masters of Sustainable Chemical Technologies (MRes) at the University of Bath.
Master of Chemistry at Bangor University.
Bryntirion Comprehensive School, Bridgend, Wales.
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Qualifications:
GCSE: Religious Studies, Science, Geography, PE, Religious Education, Welsh, IT
A-levels: Biology, Chemistry, Religious Studies/Philosophy -
Work History:
Research Scientist at a company that makes magnetic fluids
Sales Assistant at a Clothing Shop
Kitchen Staff at a Restaurant
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Current Job:
PhD Student
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About Me:
I am a theoretical chemistry PhD student who loves the natural world, video games and reading fantasy novels!
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Hi everyone,
My name’s Piers, I’m 24 and I live in Bath with my girlfriend of nine years (A long time, I know!). I have a really strange, unique background, and it’s quite a strange one!
When I was 10, me and my family moved from Wales to sunny Portugal. I went straight into a Portuguese speaking school, even though I had no idea how to speak Portuguese! I spent a couple of months trying to learn the language, because if knew I didn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to speak to my friends or learn in school. It was a real challenge, but it showed me how wonderful and varied the world is, and how experiencing different cultures is really important! In 2010, I returned to the UK to study my GCSE’s and A-levels before going to university. After doing a four year degree in chemistry, I completed another masters degree in sustainable chemical technologies, before pursuing my PhD in computational chemistry.
Over the last couple of years, I have kept over 15 different types of snake! People think they are scary, but they can often be very friendly animals!
I really love fantasy books – I love being taken into a different world, where things don’t work in the same way as the real world! I’m also a big fan of video games, and I particularly love playing games on my Nintendo Switch!
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I work in a field called ‘computational chemistry’, and it’s all about using computers to solve challenging problems in chemistry. I study what chemicals look like, how they move (often wiggling), and they interact with each other. I remember when I was in school, I had no idea that computers could be used to do this sort of science
Medicine is really important to make sure that people stay safe and healthy throughout their lives. When new medicines are being discovered and tested, they can’t be used on people straight away. Sometimes, medicines are tested on animals first, before they are tested on humans. Sadly, this can hurt the animals, and my work is all about using computers to try and reduce the need to use animals in science. This means more happy animals, more happy people, and more happy scientists!
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My Typical Day:
I wake up at 8 o’clock in the morning, I have porridge and fruit, I get showered, and then I leave to go into university. I then spend lots of time watching molecules wiggle and jiggle on my computer screen!
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I normally wake up at about 8 o’clock in the morning, I eat my breakfast, have a shower, and then take the bus to work.
I then spent a couple of hours in the morning reading scientific articles and papers. This is a really important part of my day, because it helps me think about what I want to do in my work. Learning from other people is really important!
I then have much lunch for about an hour, which usually consists of a jacket potato, baked beans and cheese.
In the afternoon, I will often spend a couple of hours looking at my research results from calculations that have been running on my computer. This involves working with lots of numbers, and trying to come up with interesting ideas about how chemicals work, move, interact, and why they exist the way they do!
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What I'd do with the prize money:
I would love to introduce more people to how computers are used to solve interesting problems in chemistry.
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Kind, Quirky, Inquisitive
What did you want to be after you left school?
Herpetology (Snake Scientist)
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Sometimes!
Who is your favourite singer or band?
George Ezra
What's your favourite food?
Nando's!
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
To live on a tropical beach, endless pizza for everybody, and to be amazing at maths!
Tell us a joke.
What do tortoises say when they answer the phone? Shellooo!
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