Brianna R. Heazlewood
2025 United Kingdom Award Finalist — Faculty
Current Position:
Professor of Chemical Physics
Institution:
The University of Liverpool
Discipline:
Physical Chemistry
Recognized for: Developing instruments that characterize complex chemical reactions at extremely cold temperatures, providing new insights into the chemistry of space and other challenging environments.
Areas of Research Interest and Expertise:
Chemical reaction dynamics, cold chemistry, ion trapping
Previous Positions:
- BSc, University of Sydney, Australia
- PhD, University of Sydney, Australia (Advisor: Scott Kable)
- Postdoctoral Researcher, Wayne State University (Advisor: Arthur Suits)
- Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Oxford (Advisor Tim Softley)
Research Summary:
Physical chemist Brianna Heazlewood, PhD, is exploring chemical reactions in extreme environments, such as the cold and low-density conditions of interstellar space and planetary atmospheres. Heazlewood uses innovative experimental techniques to investigate how molecules behave in these harsh conditions, challenging existing theories. One key discovery is that deuterium-containing ammonia reacts faster than regular ammonia in cold environments, which contradicts current predictions and helps explain the high levels of deuterium-rich molecules in space. Heazlewood’s lab has also developed advanced tools, like cryogenic ion traps, to simulate space-like conditions and study reactions at ultra-cold temperatures. Heazlewood’s work is reshaping our understanding of astrochemistry and chemical processes in extreme environments.
“Thank you to the Blavatnik Awards scheme for this fabulous recognition. It will allow me to share our research into cold chemical reactions with a wider audience, and to celebrate the contributions of our amazing group members and collaborators.”
Key Publications:
- J. A. Diprose, V. Richardson, P. Regan, A. Roberts, S. Burdin, A. Tsikritea, K. Mavrokoridis, B. R. Heazlewood. Spatial and Temporal Detection of Ions Ejected from Coulomb Crystals. Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 2024.
- C. Miossec, M. Hejduk, R. Pandey, N. J. A. Coughlan, B. R. Heazlewood. Design and characterization of a cryogenic linear Paul ion trap for ion–neutral reaction studies. Review of Scientific Instruments, 2022.
- A. Tsikritea, K. Park, P. Bertier, J. Loreau, T. P. Softley, B. R. Heazlewood. Inverse kinetic isotope effects in the charge transfer reactions of ammonia with rare gas ions. Chemical Science, 2021.
- C. Miossec, L. Y. Wu, P. Bertier, M. Hejduk, J. Toscano, B. R. Heazlewood. A stand-alone magnetic guide for producing tuneable radical beams. The Journal of Chemical Physics, 2020.
Other Honors:
2024 Zdenek Herman MOLEC Young Scientist Prize
2022 Philip Leverhulme Prize in Chemistry
2021 CAMS Fellowship: Community for Analytical Measurement Science (CAMS) and the Analytical Chemistry Trust Fund (ACTF)
2021 Marlow Award, Royal Society of Chemistry
2020 Henry Moseley Medal and Prize, Institute of Physics
2020 Best Paper by an Emerging Investigator Award, Journal of Chemical Physics
2016 Award for Excellence: Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford
2016 EPSRC Early Career Fellowship
2015 Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship
2014 Award for Excellence: Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford
In the Media:
Chemistry World – Ultracold molecules are poised to unearth chemistry’s foundations