Pall Thordarson

Professor Pall Thordarson is a leading researcher at the School of Chemistry, The University of New South Wales. His work spans bio-mimetic chemistry, nanomedicine, and supramolecular systems with applications in drug delivery, cancer therapy, and energy conversion.

• Education: PhD in Organic Chemistry (University of Sydney, 2001), BSc in Chemistry (University of Iceland, 1996)

Research areas include:

• Nanomedicine: Cancer-targeting peptides and drug release systems
• Supramolecular chemistry: Self-assembled gels and ion-pair recognition
• Biophysical chemistry: Protein self-assembly and light-harvesting mechanisms
• Origin of life studies: Prebiotic self-assembly processes

Recent publications highlight advancements in:

• Peptide hydrogels for cell culture and drug delivery
• RNA-binding motifs and nucleotide recognition
• Mechanistic studies of singlet fission and energy transfer
• Chiral biomaterial design and stereochemistry effects

Scientific awards include:

• Le Févre Memorial Prize (2012)
• Future Fellowship (ARC, 2012)
• SPP/JPP Young Investigator Award (2010)
• NSW Young Tall Poppy Science Award (2008)

Teaching roles:

• CHEM 1041/1061: Higher Chemistry
• CHEM 2041: Analytical Chemistry
• CHEM 3071: Supramolecular Chemistry & Chemical Biology

Professional leadership:

• Director of Research, School of Chemistry (UNSW)
• Chair, Scientific Advisory Board (Biomedical Imaging Facility, UNSW)
• Associate Editor, Australian Journal of Chemistry
• Co-Chair: IUPAC Conference on Physical Organic Chemistry (2016)

Outreach initiatives:

• Open science advocate (supramolecular.org, 50,000+ visits)
• ABC Radio National contributor on science ethics (2017)