Dr Anita Dawes

Biography

I am a Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow in the School of Physical Sciences at the Open University. I did my undergraduate MSci degree in Physics at University College London (1996 - 2000) and my PhD in the Molecular Physics Lab at University College London (2000 - 2003). I then joined the Astrochemistry Group at The Open University as a Postdoctoral Research Associate (2000 - 2006). I then embarked on a career break with the arrival of my first child in 2007 and had a 6-year break becoming a mother to three children (2007 - 2013). In 2013 I returned to research, re-joining the rapidly growing Astrochemistry Group at the Shchool of Physical Science after being successful in obtaining a Daphne Jackson Fellowship (2013-2016), co-sponsored by the Open University and Science and Technology Facilities Council, enabling me to re-train and refresh my skills and regain confidence as a researcher, allowing me to work part-time whilst looking after my young family. Towards the end of the three years, the tailor-made Daphne Jackson re-training programme paid off as I was successful in being awarded a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship (starting October 2016), continuing my work in laboratory astrochemistry.

Research Interest

My research interests are in Laboratory Astrochemistry. I simulate cold space environments such as dense molecular clouds from which stars form, protoplanetary discs around baby stars or icy surfaces of Outer Solar System bodies under conrtolled laboraory conditions to study the chemical and physical properties of cosmic ice analogues.