About us

I try to improve alloys used for advanced applications such as jet engines and bio implants, using computer simulations to understand how atoms interact in these materials, and trying to predict how changes in composition my change the behaviour of the materials I work with. I love how Materials Science and Engineering truly applies to everything, and how all of our technology relies on our ability to exploit the amazing properties of materials.

Links to the university departments who make up the Discover Materials Working Group.

I study what we call Smart Materials! These are materials capable of interacting with external stimuli (such as light, heat, pressure, humidity) and change their properties due to these interactions. Examples are materials that can self-heal and pressure-sensitive materials, a bit like the human body! Who would have thought that materials could be smart? I got into Materials Science because it is AWESOME! It is a discipline that brings together Physics, Chemistry and Engineering in a practical world with endless applications.

Chris coordinates the activities of the Discover Materials group and has carried out research into waterproof surfaces and how bubbles can be used to put out fires! He loves Materials Science and Engineering as it brings together lots of different areas of science and is applicable to everyday life because, let’s face it, everything is made of something and that something is a material!

Becky currently works for a project called SUSTAIN, based at Swansea University looking into the decarbonisation of the steel industry. She found out about Materials Science and Engineering by accident on a University Open Day and has never looked back. Becky’s favourite part of Materials Science and Engineering is breaking and testing materials as well as using microscopes to see the incredible details on the surface of materials which are not visible with the naked eye.

I teach aspects of Materials Science that relate mostly to polymers, their properties and how we can process them into new things! A big problem with polymers now is the amount of plastic waste and the effects on the environment and so my research is on creating new sustainable polymers from renewable resources. I loved Chemistry and Biology at School and as I didn’t know about Materials Science at the time, I studied for a degree in Chemistry. I realised at University that I enjoyed research and stayed on to do a PhD in Polymer Chemistry. Since then, my research has led me into Materials Science and Engineering rather than other STEM areas.

Han’s research motivation comes from the needs for the next generation of sustainable high performance composites with integrated multifunctionalities for future lightweight structural applications. Han is always curious about how to achieve a better world by making better materials, how to reach desired properties by optimised materials selection, modification and processing.

I am a Senior Lecturer in the department of Materials at Loughborough University, and I am a synthetic polymer chemist by training. My research is focussed on the synthesis of responsive polymers for applications from Magnetic Resonance Imaging through to degradable packaging. I am passionate about Materials science as it allows us to understand why materials have the properties that they do, and design better materials for our future.

Helena is the Access & Outreach Manager for the Department of Materials at the University of Oxford. Having studied Physics at Oxford as an undergraduate student and then working with the outreach team there, they now realise after joining the Materials Science department that maybe they should have studied Materials Science instead! The thing they particularly love about Materials Science is how broad it is and how relevant it is to solving problems actually out there in the world today. They no longer do any research of their own and instead spend all their time running the departmental outreach programmes, organising events, and visiting schools.

I work with carbon nanomaterials, which are fascinating for loads of reasons, not least because 1) they are tiiiiiiny and 2) they are made from only one element yet have an incredible range of properties depending on how their carbon atoms are arranged. I love materials science and engineering because it is inherently interdisciplinary—I get to work with people from a crazy range of subjects!

I am a Lecturer in Sustainable Materials and RAEng Research Fellow and my research dives deep into the materials inside electrochemical devices, and how their architectures relate to device performance. We cannot imagine a clean energy future without these technologies, like electrolysers, batteries and fuel cells, so understand why and how the materials fail is crucial to be able to design the next generation of energy materials.

"My work focuses on characterisation of materials, specifically trying to understand them on the atomic level. This involves using X-rays and neutrons to probe the structures of the materials - involving experiments at particle accelerator facilities. By understanding materials on this level we can begin to understand the origin of their properties - and so then design new materials. Most of my work involves studying metallic alloys including compositionally complex alloys (that contain multiple different elements), but I also work on other materials for energy storage or functional applications. I am currently a Lecturer and Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow. I am also the host of the "Materials Unlocked" podcast - which you can find wherever you find your podcasts!"

I examine what happens to polymer materials when they experience a mechanical force such as bending and stretching. As a Lecturer in Polymer Science, my work focuses on the forces they experience during processing where they will be pulled and pushed through many different machines to shape them into their final forms. To ensure that items have a longer useful life, it is important for us to understand any damage that might be introduced during manufacturing and how we might use this knowledge to improve the properties of the final product. I studied for a degree in Chemistry as an undergraduate and found I loved research, so I stayed for a PhD in Materials Chemistry. After this I moved to the field of Engineering and spent many years learning about manufacturing. Material Science is the perfect home for me because it allows me to explore so many different topics: from the chemistry that I first found fascinating to the manufacturing engineering that I love for its focus on practical applications.

My research is focussed on developing the metallic alloys of the future. I design materials for inside jet engines, the aircraft they power and for heading into space. As part of this work I use high power X-rays to study alloys that can change shape on their own – metallic magic! I first came across materials science as part of A Level physics and rapidly became hooked. I found that it filled a niche between science and engineering. Everything is made of something but why has a certain material been selected and how can we make it better?. To answer those questions you have to appreciate the engineering aspects of the application and understand the fundamental science that governs a material’s behaviour.

I use electron microscopes to image and analyse nanomaterials. One of the exciting parts of materials is that there are so many areas in which we can find uses for them! I am particularly interested in nanomaterials we might find in medical, environmental or consumer products. In our undergraduate course I teach materials characterisation.

I primarily research how metals break, particularly as a result of corrosion and how we can prevent it. I got into materials very randomly: I knew I liked chemistry and physics, but then a friend of my mother’s came to dinner and introduced me to materials science just before my UCAS applications.

My research expertise is in multifunctional polymer composites. The multifunctionalities can benefit in variety of applications, such as healthcare monitoring, motion sensing, thermoresponsive resistive heating and athlete performance tracking. The development of new and improved materials is at the heart of a huge range of technologies, from the objects we use every day, such as food packaging, to novel batteries and fuel cells to power electric vehicles, through to more advanced materials for biomedical applications, such as implants.

Our fantastic ambassadors are young, enthusiastic scientists who love sharing their passion for Materials Science. Click the link below to find out more about them and why they love Materials Science

Association of Heads of University Materials Departments are the Heads of the Materials Science and Engineering departments of nine UK universities who founded the Discover Materials Working Group in 2017.

A board of seven expert volunteers with a passion for Materials Science and Engineering. The board has representation from academia, schools, exam boards, educational charities and the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3).