Emma Hedley

What is your current job / programme of study?

DPhil in Materials, University of Oxford

What A-Levels (or equivalent) did you do?

Scottish Highers- Maths, English, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Geography

Advanced Highers- Chemistry, Maths

Why did you chose a career in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE)?

I chose Materials Science because during my undergraduate degree I was particularly interested in the areas Chemistry and Physics overlap and particularly explaining the properties of materials based on chemical and physical interactions.

What did you enjoy most about your MSE course? (If you didn’t do a MSE course which course did you do and what led to you MSE?)

I did Chemical Physics at University of Glasgow. I really enjoyed that my course covered a broad range of topics and I got to spend  1 year working in Industry.

What is your research about?

In my research I use electron microscopy to look at and understand the structure of battery materials, by understanding the atomic structure we try to better understand the structural changes occur due to cycling the battery many times.

What is the coolest thing you have done in your career so far?

The coolest thing I have done so far is to use the electron microscope to see atomic structure of materials . I actually do this on  a fairly regular basis and it never fails to amaze me.

What do you see yourself doing in the future?

I STILL don’t have a clear plan for the future but I see myself, using my scientific skills to make a difference to the world and continuing to do outreach and connect more people with the joy of discovering new things.

What is your favourite material (and why)?

All materials are cool in their own way!

What advice would you give your 16 year old self?

Not to worry that you don’t have a clear idea of what to do. Its OK just to take the next step and things will fall into place, but also be brave and take a chance.