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Claire Carmalt

@clairecarmalt.bsky.social
895 followers 858 following 101 posts

Professor in Inorganic & Materials Chemistry at UCL. Mum to two daughters - one lives in my heart 💔. Sharing my grief journey, my animals, garden and my research (functional materials).

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Reposted by Claire Carmalt
UCL Chemistry @uclchemistry.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
The Department Celebration begins! Here's @clairecarmalt.bsky.social ready to welcome all our staff and students to the new academic year!
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
Happy first day of the new academic year. Fantastic to welcome all the new undergraduate chemistry students to the department @uclchemistry.bsky.social this morning. Looking forward to meeting all the new postgraduate students later today!
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 11/09/2025
What a lovely way to spend the evening seeing all our @uclchemistry.bsky.social students graduate. Lots of happy faces, clapping & great views from the Royal Festival Hall. Nearly 20K steps done due to the underground strike but it was worth it 🎓👩‍🎓👨‍🎓
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Reposted by Claire Carmalt
USIC & Scottish Dalton 2025 @usic-2025.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
We are excited to announce details for the upcoming USIC & Scottish Dalton conference on the 28th and 29th of August at the University of Strathclyde. We have lectures from invited speakers @clairecarmalt.bsky.social @evaheviagroup.bsky.social and Dr Andrew Jupp. www.rsc.org/events/detai...
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
Happy to be at #Dalton2025 conference. Gave my talk yesterday and was presented with my shiny medal 😊 #Chemsky
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Reposted by Claire Carmalt
UCL Chemistry @uclchemistry.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
Thinking about doing a masters degree in Chemistry? Applications are still open. Read more here: www.ucl.ac.uk/chemistry/st... #chemistry #postgraduate
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 16/03/2025
I’m sharing the many faces of my lovely daughter Tory as we miss her on what would have been her 23rd birthday. I love & miss her so much. So many beautiful happy memories but her life was sadly cut short aged 20. Happy Birthday my beautiful angel 🕊️💔❤️ #grief
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
One of the perks of my job is that I’m going to Lincoln university to given an invited lecture & a bonus is that my daughter R is at uni there so can see her & make pancakes for her & her friends 😆! Wish I could do the same with Tory but my Robin was there before I left. ❤️
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
Yay it’s officially the weekend now. Henry is having a little think about what to do this weekend. He might do a few runs on his wheel 😆🧡
Henry the hamster
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
Love this photo of UCL that I captured earlier today 🧡
Main building of UCL
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
It’s been a tough few weeks with my grief feeling very raw, don’t know what triggered it. Time of year? Being 2025 so into the 3rd year since losing Tory? Seeing lots of happy families during half term hols? Not sure but I’m hoping a long walk today will help #grief #childloss
Photo of my daughter Tory
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
One advantage of getting up at silly o’clock for a very early train to go up north to give a lecture is to see this beautiful sunrise. It’s distracting me from my work but it’s good for the soul #grief
Sunrise seen from train window
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 19/01/2025
A chilly but lovely walk around the lakes near us today. A little Robin friend followed us for a bit, we saw a heron and we got all our ducks in a row 😆
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
After telling hubby that I missed going in the lab & seeing if any crystals had grown (something I did daily when I was doing my PhD) I got a crystal growing kit for Xmas 🤣. Look at these beauties that I have grown. It even came with a little light up platform to sit them on 😆 #ChemSky
Photos of brightly coloured crystals
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 12/01/2025
On a walk through the woods today a little Robin followed us all the way round. It was misty & a little gloomy but the Robin brightened me & made me feel like Tory was with us . I love this bright photo of Tory from 2020 out on a walk. I wish she had been with us today 🩵 #grief
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 10/01/2025
My boys & I are very happy it’s Friday evening ❤️! The Guinea pigs have been popcorning around their playpen while I’ve been watching a film tucked up under a warm blanket (it’s so cold 🥶)!!
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 04/01/2025
Well that’s it, 2025 has got off to a bad start. Someone has taken my tree away, I just don’t know where to sleep and I’m depressed…thinks Trixie 🐈‍⬛ 🤣
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
Beautiful brisk sunny & cold walk today. Just what I needed today 😊
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 26/12/2024
My brilliant new blanket, perfect for someone who loves chemistry 😆. A great pressie from hubby 👩‍🔬🧪⚗️ #ChemSky
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 24/12/2024
The 3rd Christmas without you, my lovely daughter Tory. How I ache to cook, laugh, hug, sing & dance with you this year. But you sent me a little sign with 2 robins appearing in the garden, perhaps letting me know you’ve got a special friend. Happy Xmas all ❤️ #forever20 #grief
Photo of me and my daughter
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 22/12/2024
I love how much Trixie appears to be enjoying the Queen movie. I thought she might start clapping her paws when Radio Ga Ga came on 🤣
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 20/12/2024
Trixie is delighted to have her Christmas 🎄 bed back again for another year. I am delighted that work has finished and I have 2 weeks off 🎉🥂🍾😊❤️
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 19/12/2024
Good Christmas lunch out earlier in the week. Nearly time to finish for Christmas……one more day….just one more day…..😊
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 14/12/2024
R is home from uni 💗💗💗. We got the tree & decorations up. Felt tearful without lovely Tory with us but R & I put the Christmas music & Santa hats on & smiles on our faces. Now it’s bright & shining like my beautiful girl always was which I like. Tory would approve ❤️ #grief
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
Nice to have Henry pop out and say hello before I headed to work this morning 😊❤️
Henry the hamster
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 10/12/2024
Last year twins Nan & Fang did their masters project in my research group (far end of the table in the photo!). Both worked super hard & Nan’s paper has just been published on transparent & conductive thin films pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/.... Now keeping my🤞🏼that Fang’s paper gets accepted 😊 #chemsky
Dinner out with my research group
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 06/12/2024
A brilliant festive sodium acrylate snowman in our teaching lab ☃️
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Reposted by Claire Carmalt
UCL Chemistry @uclchemistry.bsky.social · 29/11/2024
The ChemisTree is up! It is officially festive season in the Turner Lab. Can you guess the molecule on top of the tree?
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
A little surprise bunch of flowers from hubby on getting home tonight. Just what I needed to give me a little lift. Bright and beautiful 🌸🌺🌼❤️ #grief
Bunch of bright flowers
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 29/11/2024
A busy work week so little time to think. Good in a way as tomorrow is the 2nd anniversary of Tory’s funeral. Planning & going to your daughter’s funeral is utterly devastating. I miss her & her future. Only memories now like this one from 2003 of Tory & I 🩵 #grief #forever20
Photo of my daughter and I in a garden
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
Yay our fab department is now on Bluesky. Please give us a follow 😊
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
I really must love my job. Left my house 1.5 hours ago and I’m actually only 2.8 miles from home. Gave up on the underground & trying the overground. Finally on a train…..It’s a squash & a squeeze is all I can say 😆
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Reposted by Claire Carmalt
Andy Kaczynski @kfile.bsky.social · 25/11/2024
A thing when you’re talking to a fellow person who’s been through a traumatic event like a child dying is how often you have to hold back when talking to regular people. Not wanting to make them uncomfortable or bring them into something they can’t fully understand. It’s isolating, in its own way.
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 24/11/2024
I thought it was time to introduce Charlie & George to you all. Charlie is the tufty one who is scared of his own shadow & George is the loopy orange coloured one who loves ‘popcorning’ around 🧡
Two little guinea pigs
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 23/11/2024
Who needs a clock when you’ve got a cat. 10 pm on the dot every night this little one comes & sits in front of me hinting that it’s nighttime feed time 😊
Black and white cat
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
UCL Chemistry annual lab dinner tonight. Trying to ensure I don’t have too many glasses of wine before giving my speech in about 20 mins 😆
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Reposted by Claire Carmalt
UCL @ucl.ac.uk · 21/11/2024
👋We are here and excited to start sharing highlights and updates from UCL! Here's a magical shot of winter star trails over the UCL Wilkins Building taken by BSc Geophysics student Weixiang Bao - the winner of our 2023/24 #LoveUCL Student Photo of the Year Competition.
A photo of winter star trails over the UCL Wilkins Building.
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 21/11/2024
UCL was looking rather lovely on my way back from giving my lecture earlier today. Not the best photo as I had to take it really quick in between the traffic 😆 @uclofficial.bsky.social
University college London
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Reposted by Claire Carmalt
Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 21/11/2024
University College London has joined Bluesky today! Give them a follow - great to see academic institutions joining the platform as well as academics! bsky.app/profile/uclo...
bsky.app
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
Introduce yourself by telling us what your favourite element is & why #ChemSky I’m Claire & mine is Bismuth. My first experiments when I was a PhD (long time ago) was making new bismuth compounds. It’s also very pretty & one of my hamsters was called Bismuth ❤️
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juliayrho.bsky.social @juliayrho.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
Fully funded PhD in biomaterials and polymer chemistry. Come join us at UCL 😊 rhoresearchgroup.uk www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
findaphd.com
Biomaterials/Polymer Self-assembly at University College London on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Biomaterials/Polymer Self-assembly at University College London, listed on FindAPhD.com
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
Introduce yourself with some jobs you've done apart from what you do now: Testing blood & urine samples in a hospital biochem lab 🤮🤢 Worked on a kibbutz during my post school, pre-uni travels 🍌🍉 Worked in the Strawberry pub opposite Newcastle united footie club and got to serve Kevin Keegan 😆
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Reposted by Claire Carmalt
Tim Baxter @timinclimate.naruresearch.com.au · 18/11/2024
Bluesky tip for newbies: Bluesky has no real algorithm. Likes here do nothing but show the poster that you enjoyed their content. That kindness is always going to be appreciated by creators, but if you want to help to boost something here, you have to repost it so others see it. 🙂
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
It’s snowing here this morning. Spoke to Mum last night & she said I mustn’t go to work if it’s snowing 🤣 so don’t tell her that I’m on the train. Tory as a little girl would always say ‘put your hattie on Mumma’ in snow so my hat is on meaning a dry but hat hair day today 😆 #grief
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Steve Camm @srcamm.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
I'm building a Starter Pack for grieving parents. We helped each other on the other site, so I feel Bluesky would be even better. Please suggest adds and message if you'd like to be removed. Thanks! go.bsky.app/4pVkT1R
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David K Smith @professor-dave.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
Chemistry degrees have some of the highest values of any degree and are vital if we want to build a competitive high-tech nation. But they are expensive, and so if universities want to save money quickly they will just ignore national priorities and close them. www.chemistryworld.com/news/univers...
chemistryworld.com
University of Reading proposes closing its chemistry department next year
The university joins several others that are considering the future of their departments and undergraduate programmes
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
Monday morning 😴. The station car park was strangely empty & the platform was deserted, there are lots of free seats on the train……Did I forget a public holiday or is something going on that I don’t know about 🤔? Bit weird!
Empty platform at a train station
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 17/11/2024
Hi All, this is my daughter Tory who died age 20 on 28/10/22 from a traumatic pulmonary embolism. She was a 3rd year medical student who filled our world with kindness, love & laughter. I talk about my grief journey & how I try to maintain positivity through work, nature, animals & gardening #grief
My daughter Tory in her medical scrubs
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Mark Miodownik @markmiodownik.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
I made a podcast about glues! "Bonkers but Fascinating" are some of things people are not saying about it, but secretly thinking. search.app?link=https%3...
search.app
BBC Radio 4 - Glued Up: The Sticky Story of Humanity, The Birth of Civilisation
Glues hold our world together – and have done since the dawn of civilisation.
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Claire Carmalt @clairecarmalt.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
I’ll do a proper intro soon but just trying out my first post on here 😊. Here’s Henry having a little wash before he goes on a little run around 🐹. Looking cute as always 🧡
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