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2016 Youth Lecture
Presented by the
Royal Australian Chemical Institute
Kitchen Chemistry
Dr Chris Thompson
Monash University
The chemistry of food is fascinating. The atoms and molecules that we put in our
mouths and sustain us with energy and nutrition span the periodic table and
come in a broad range of shapes and sizes. Dr Chris Thompson's RACI Youth
Lecture will explore the macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats & proteins)
alongside the role of vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Key topics will include
some key chemical reactions and the role of enzymes in the metabolism of food.
Case studies will include glucose, sucrose and artificial sweeteners, the rancidity
of fats and oils, and how amino acids polymerise to generate protein structure.
Dr Chris Thompson is an Education-Focused Senior Lecturer from the School of Chemistry at
Monash University, and holds degrees from the Australian National Univeristy and Monash
University. He is currently the Associate Dean Education in the Faculty of Science, and Unit
Coordinator for the Food Chemistry course. Chris has almost 50 research papers to his name,
across the fields of spectroscopy, computational chemistry and chemistry education. He is
the Chair of the RACI Chemistry Education Division, sits on the board of the not-for-profit
Chemistry Education Association, co-author of the past four VCE Chemistry exams, Chief
Examiner for the Monash Foundation Year program in Chemistry, and is heavily engaged
with secondary school outreach, where Monash's School of Chemistry hosts over 2000
primary and secondary science students annually. His particular interests are in active
learning in university classrooms, and is specifically passionate about enabling students to
harness their imagination to visualise chemistry.