Highly successful early careers event

The 5^th  GASG Early Career Researcher forum was held at Crowcon Detection Instruments in Abingdon on 20th March and featured 12 presentations from talented young researchers describing their work.

The best overall presentation was judged to be that by Eleanor Warrington, University of Oxford, who received her prize from Dr Claire Batty, Open University and GASG Committee Member. Other prizes were awarded to Dr Lekan Popoola, University of Cambridge, and Euan Martin, University of Strathclyde/Emerson Controls Ltd.

The meeting also benefitted from the insights provided by Prof Norman Ratcliffe, University of the West of England, who gave a highly entertaining plenary talk entitled ‘The Smell of Disease’, drawing on his long career in the field of gas detection for medical diagnosis.

Thanks are extended to the generous hosts, Crowcon Detection Instruments, who provided delegates with tours of their manufacturing facilities. These tours were especially valuable for the early-career researchers in attendance, many of whom had limited prior exposure to the workings of a commercial gas detection business.

The meeting was generally agreed to have been one of the most vibrant and informative of recent GASG events and continued the strong reputation the group has established for providing an illuminating and engaging environment for the exchange of ideas in the field.

The prestigious Imperial War Museum at Duxford in Cambridgeshire will be the venue for the next meeting, which will be held on Thursday 26th June 2025.
     
The programme will include contributions from NASA, QinetiQ and Draeger among an international array of speakers. The day promises fascinating insights into a rarely discussed field, featuring talks on applications in the International Space Station and modern naval submarines. Attendees will also benefit from free access to the world-class IWM exhibits during the lunch interval. 

Full details and application forms are now available. Early registration is advised to secure your place at what promises to be another notable GASG event.

A further GASG meeting has also been scheduled for Thursday 4th December 2025 at the renowned Wellcome Institute in London. The theme will be ‘Special Gases and Unusual Places’ with further details available soon.

It was with great sadness that we learned of the recent passing of Dr. Joe Watson, President of GASG, former Chair, and a driving force behind the group since its founding in 1993. A special edition of the Members Newsletter is being planned to commemorate Joe’s life and achievements, and contributions are warmly welcomed. Submissions can be made via the link available on the GASG website.