Judith Howard is a practically minded structural chemist who characterises compounds using pioneering techniques. Judith has built instruments that allow scientists to apply techniques to experimentally prove theories and advance the field of X-ray crystallography.
X-ray crystallography analyses the three-dimensional atomic structure of molecules by firing X-rays at them and examining the diffraction pattern that results. Judith developed low temperature and neutron diffraction methods to more precisely determine electron density, chemical bonding and magnetic properties in molecules.
Prolific in her contributions to science, with over 1,500 publications to her name, Judith actively participates in committees and conferences worldwide. She was the first woman to head a five-star chemistry department (at the University of Durham), and was the President of the British Crystallographic Association. Judith was made a CBE in 1996 and won the Royal Society of Chemistry Structural Chemistry Award in 1999.
Subject groups
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Chemistry
Chemistry, materials, Chemistry, inorganic
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Other
Public understanding of science
