Raston, Colin Llewellyn

Summary

Colin Raston is renowned for his research into clean technology and green chemistry. His work includes process intensification, nanotechnology and self assembly. He has over 600 publications and holds patents on fullerene, nanoparticles, calixarenes, carbon nanotube separation, microfluidics and surface technology. Raston was the lead inventor Vortex Fluidic Device, a machine that unravels proteins and has applications in a wide range of fields from improving the potency of anti-cancer drugs to the production of biofuels. Demonstrating that the machine could be used to 'unboil' an egg won Raston and his team an Ig Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2015.

Details

Chronology

1981 - 1987

Career position - Lecturer in Chemistry, University of Western Australia

1988 - 1995

Career position - Professor of Chemistry, Griffith University

1991 - 1993

Career position - Deputy Dean, Faculty of Science and Technology, Griffith University

1992 - 1993

Career position - President, Queensland Branch, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

1993

Award - Senior Research Fellow, Australian Research Council

1994

Award - Burrows Award, Inorganic Chemistry Division, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

1995 - 1996

Career position - Vice-President, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

1995 - 2000

Career position - Professor of Chemistry, Monash University

1995 - 2000

Career position - Chair, Research Committee, Department of Chemistry, Monash University

1996

Career position - Chair, 17th International Conference on Organometallic Chemistry, Brisbane

1996

Award - H. G. Smith Memorial Medal, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

1996 - 1997

Career position - President, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

1998

Award - Senior Research Fellow, Australian Research Council

1998 - 2000

Career position - Chair, Inorganic Chemistry Division, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

2000

Career position - Established Centre for Green Chemistry, Monash University

2001 - 2002

Career position - Chair of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Leeds, United Kingdom

2002

Award - Green Chemistry Challenge Award, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

2002 - 2006

Career position - Chair, Editorial Board, Green Chemistry

2003 - 2005

Career position - Professor of Chemistry, University of Western Australia

2005

Award - Professorial Fellowship, Australian Research Council

2005 - 2009

Career position - Associate Dean (Research), Faculty of Life and Physical Sciences, University of Western Australia

2006

Award - Leighton Memorial Award, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

2007 - 2009

Career position - Member, College of Experts, Australian Research Council

2007 - 2012

Career position - Inaugural Director, Centre for Strategic Nano-Fabrication, University of Western Australia

2008 -

Career position - Nanoscience Expert, Nano-technology Advisory group, National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme, Australian Department of Health

2010

Award - Professorial Fellowship, Australian Research Council

2011

Award - Named Living Luminary of Australian Chemistry, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

2013 -

Career position - Professor of Chemistry, Flinders University

2013 - 2016

Career position - South Australian Premier's Professorial Fellow in Clean Technology, School of Chemistry and Physical Sciences, Flinders University

2014

Career position - Lead inventor Vortex Fluidic Device (machine that unravels proteins, implications for cancer treatment, manufacture of pharmaceuticals, production of biofuels and food processing)

2015

Award - IgNobel Prize in Chemistry (shared)

2016

Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to science through seminal contributions to the field of chemistry as a researcher and academic, and to professional associations

2018 -

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)

2018

Award - Applied Research Award, Royal Australian Chemical Institute

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