Communicating Chemistry

You’re more likely to find chemist George Van Den Driessche examining 3-D molecules on a computer than working at a lab bench.

Van Den Driessche, who graduates from NC State in May with his Ph.D. in chemistry, works in the Fourches Lab using computers to model the chemical composition of drugs so that he can identify ones that might trigger adverse reactions. He’s also passionate about communication, writing articles for the NC State News website and other publications and helping manage the Department of Chemistry’s Twitter account.

He plans to continue his research — and communicating about it — in a postdoctoral research position, with the goal of eventually entering the pharmaceutical industry.

“It’s really important for scientists to engage in science communication and outreach, because if you’re not promoting your own work, then who’s going to do it for you?” Van Den Driessche said.