Research Excellence
Cathleen Crudden shortlisted for Falling Walls Breakthrough of the Year
August 14, 2025
Share
Dr. Crudden鈥檚 leadership in developing carbon鈥搈etal coatings has positioned Queen鈥檚 as a hub for innovation in chemistry and materials science.
A Queen鈥檚 researcher has been shortlisted for the 2025 Falling Walls Science Breakthrough of the Year in Physical Sciences. (Chemistry) is one of 10 researchers worldwide recognized by the jury for work with the potential to drive global progress in science and society.
This international recognition highlights her discovery of durable organic coatings that protect critical metals and metal products from degradation and breakdown. This discovery offers the first significant improvement over surface chemistry methods discovered in the 1980s. Developed under her leadership as a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Metal Organic Chemistry and the Scientific Director of the (C2MCI) at Queen鈥檚, these coatings use a new class of organic molecules that form strong carbon鈥搈etal bonds, creating stable coatings that resist degradation and extend the lifespan of metal surfaces.
Dr. Crudden鈥檚 research is already supporting advances in a range of sectors. In medicine, the coatings are being used to create novel nanomaterials that are being explored for as novel, high precision cancer treatments. In microelectronics, they are helping to enable new processes to produce smaller and more efficient semiconductor devices. In transportation and construction, they are being explored as a way to prevent rust and material failure in metals such as steel. Dr. Crudden鈥檚 work and that of the C2MCI support progress on several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including those related to health, infrastructure, innovation, and sustainability.
The Falling Walls Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Berlin, Germany, that commemorates the fall of the Berlin Wall by celebrating breakthroughs in science and society. Each year, the Foundation hosts the prestigious Falling Walls Science Breakthrough of the Year awards, recognizing significant research across multiple categories, including Physical Sciences.
Queen鈥檚 has a history of success at Falling Walls, with (Chemical Engineering) receiving the 2023 Science Breakthrough of the Year award in the Engineering and Technology category. The recipients of the awards will be announced this fall and will present at the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin in November.
Learn more about .
