Biography:
Jessica Alice Feinmann Wade BEM, born in October 1988, is a British physicist known for her groundbreaking work in the field of Raman spectroscopy. She currently holds a position in the prestigious Blackett Laboratory at Imperial College London. Wade’s research primarily focuses on polymer-based organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), with a special interest in exploring their properties through Raman spectroscopy.
Born into a family of physicians, Wade was surrounded by science and medicine from an early age. Her grandfather, Leslie Feinmann, was a physician who had a fascinating background. He was born in a Jewish ghetto in Manchester and came from a Russian-speaking mother and a father of Lithuanian Jewish and German Jewish descent. This rich heritage influenced Wade’s passion for science and contributed to her remarkable journey.
Wade received her education at South Hampstead High School, where she thrived academically. In 2007, she graduated and decided to pursue her passion for art and design by enrolling in a foundation course at the Chelsea College of Art and Design. However, science eventually drew her back, leading her to Imperial College London.
In 2012, Wade obtained her Master of Science (MSci) degree in physics from Imperial College London. She continued her academic journey at the same institution, completing her Ph.D. in physics in 2016. Throughout her doctoral research, she delved into the field of nanometrology in organic semiconductors, which was supervised by Ji-Seon Kim, an esteemed professor in the field.
Wade’s research expands beyond traditional material science. Her interests encompass chiral materials and circular polarization. As of 2020, she serves as a postdoctoral research associate in plastic electronics within the solid-state physics group at Imperial College London. In this role, she focuses on developing and characterizing light-emitting polymer thin films, collaborating with distinguished scientists such as Alasdair Campbell and Matthew Fuchter.
One of Wade’s notable achievements is her discovery of how to template chiral materials at functional interfaces. This breakthrough sets the stage for future advancements in tunable chiroptical technologies. Her research findings have been published in esteemed scientific journals, including the Journal of Physical Chemistry C, the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the Journal of Materials Chemistry, ACS Nano, and Advanced Functional Materials, among others.
Throughout her career, Wade has co-authored research papers with renowned scientists, including James Durrant, Henning Sirringhaus, Jenny Nelson, Donal Bradley, and Ji-Seon Kim. Her contributions to the scientific community have garnered significant recognition, with 59 published items and over 1,100 citations as of November 2022, according to Web of Science.
Beyond her scientific pursuits, Wade is a passionate advocate for gender equality in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. She actively engages in public outreach to inspire and empower women in physics. Wade has represented the UK in the Hidden No More program, a United States Department of State-funded initiative. Additionally, she has served on the Young Women’s Board for the WISE Campaign and the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) Council, working closely with teachers nationwide through the Stimulating Physics Network.
Wade has been critical of campaigns that perpetuate stereotypes and limit girls’ interest in science. She believes that these campaigns should not imply that only a small minority of girls would be interested in STEM or restrict their studies to topics like the chemical composition of lipsticks and nail varnish. Wade’s advocacy for inclusivity and equal opportunities has made her a prominent figure in the fight against systemic biases, including gender and racial bias, on platforms such as Wikipedia.
In recognition of her contributions to science and her dedicated efforts in promoting gender equality in STEM, Jessica Alice Feinmann Wade was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM). This prestigious honor acknowledges her outstanding achievements and her role as a trailblazer in women’s history.
Awards:
– British Empire Medal (BEM)