Dr. Michael Londesborough

Dr Michael Londesborough is a researcher at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, a science communicator and broadcaster, and a specialist in borane chemistry.

For the last eleven years Dr Londesborough has worked as an independent researcher at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague on the boranes – a group of inorganic compounds consisting boron and hydrogen. He is an experienced grant holder with research goals exploring the interaction of light with certain borane clusters to generate fluorescence and energized oxygen, and at the synthesis of new generation boron cluster doping agents for use in the semi-conductor industry.

Born in London England, Dr Londesborough graduated with a first-class degree in Chemistry at the University of Leeds, England in 1999 (dissertation on boron-containing polymers); attained his Ph.D in Leeds University in 2002 whilst working with Prof. John Kennedy on Macropolyhedral Boranes. His thesis won the JB Cohen prize for the being the best thesis that contributed the most to scientific knowledge.

In 2015 he published the discovery of the first borane laser. He represents his Institute at the academic congress of the Czech Academy of Sciences, sits on his institute’s scientific council, and is a member of the Academy’s council for the popularization of science. Dr Londesborough is author or co-author of 40 original scientific papers (235 citations), has 2 contributions to books on modern boron chemistry, 1 national patent, and has given oral presentations at many international conferences. He is three times winner (2002, 2003, 2004) of the Czech/Slovak young inorganic chemist award and also involved in various projects in collaboration with the British Council in Prague, the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Czech Television and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MŠMT) concerning the publicising and communication of science, the teaching of science to younger people, and the networking of young scientists from the UK and the Czech Republic.

He is author and presenter of a weekly science program broadcasted on national Czech television, with over 150 episodes produced and broadcasted. Winner of the “Best Educational Program” award at the 45th International Festival TECHFILM 2008. Awarded in 2009 with the Vojtěch Náprstek Medal given by the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic for results in science popularization and education. Awarded in 2011 with the special prize SCIAP for popularization of science. Awarded in 2014 with the Czech Academy of Sciences President medal for work in science popularization.