PhD CANDIDATE – WiE SCHOLARSHIP + AINSE PGRA SCHOLARSHIP

Melody’s research focuses on the development and qualification of accident-tolerant fuels for nuclear reactors, specifically characterizing how such fuels behave during accident conditions. Collaborating with ANSTO, her research leverages state-of-the-art neutron diffraction techniques. She is also studying the behaviour of fuel fission products through atomic-scale simulations, modelling the chemical behaviour of uranium boride fuels during burnup.

Melody completed her degree in Chemical Product Engineering at UNSW in 2022, for which she was awarded the UNSW Chemical Engineering Prize in Undergraduate Chemical Product Engineering. She is passionate about science communication and encouraging and supporting women to study STEM.

PhD CANDIDATE

Harvey’s PhD research focuses on developing a mechanistic understanding of the failure behaviour within a TRISO nuclear fuel particle. Of interest is how this understanding can assist in the accelerated fuel qualification of Uranium Nitride TRISO’s use in advanced reactors. His research leverages ANSTO’s neutron scattering equipment and modern nuclear fuel performance codes.

Harvey studied his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering (UNSW) with his Honour’s project titled “Concept Design of a Small-Scale University Tokamak”, which formed a foundation for the initial design of AtomCraft’s student-led Fusion Reactor project. His work was featured in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Harvey also works as a Project Officer, providing the AtomCraft team with academic advice and support. He has also worked as a Design Engineer for over 3 years at both Tesla and on UNSW’s Solar Car Racing Team, Sunswift.

PhD CANDIDATE

Abid’s research aims to develop machine-learning interatomic potentials for zirconium hydrides and utilize them in atomic scale modelling of these materials. Zirconium hydrides are particularly important due to their adverse effects, such as hydride embrittlement and delayed hydride cracking, on the zirconium alloy cladding of nuclear fuels. His research investigates the role of nuclear quantum effects on these hydrides' phase stability and hydrogen diffusivity to develop a clear understanding of their nucleation and growth mechanisms.

Abid completed his B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in 2016 and his M.Sc. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Dhaka (DU), Bangladesh, in 2019. He joined UNSW Sydney in September 2023 to pursue his PhD in Mechanical Engineering.

PhD CANDIDATE – PETRE SCHOLARSHIP + WiE SCHOLARSHIP + TYREE SCHOLARSHIP

Lucy is developing alloys with increased hydrogen tolerance for use in the emerging hydrogen economy. Her project focuses on the potential for a chemically active sacrificial phase within the alloy that irreversibly traps hydrogen without compromising the mechanical performance of the alloy.

As an undergraduate, Lucy studied both Chemistry and Mechanical Engineering at UNSW, with a semester on exchange at ETH Zurich. The combination of her studies led to an interest in renewables and materials science, with her honours project on the microstructural refinement and high-temperature stability of Zircaloy-4 processed by high-pressure torsion (in collaboration with ANSTO). In her spare time, you’ll probably find Lucy outdoors, either climbing or mountain biking.

PhD CANDIDATE – ANSTO TYREE NUCLEAR + AINSE RSS SCHOLARSHIPS

James' research focuses on synthesising and characterising UO2 nuclear fuel with select dopants to mitigate corrosive fission gas release. This has potential use in load-following applications for small modular reactors, as nuclear fuel cladding is expected to experience increased degradation from stress corrosion cracking. His research utilises the affinity of metal oxide dopants (i.e., Ba, Mg and Ca) to sequester corrosive iodine into secondary phases within a UO2 matrix, thereby limiting stress corrosion cracking and extending fuel life.

James earned his Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Chemistry at the University of Wollongong. His honours project involved characterising transport pathways of terrestrially influenced air through the Southern Ocean. 

PhD CANDIDATE – TOKAMAK ENERGY SPONSORSHIP + TYREE SCHOLARSHIP

Matthew started his PhD in 2021, focusing on the radiation damage and shielding properties of materials for use in nuclear reactors. In particular, he works on tungsten borides and how they evolve due to neutron and photon radiation in fusion reactors. He collaborates with Tokamak Energy, developing and characterising these materials for use in their spherical tokamaks.

During Matthew’s undergrad, he developed a method to calculate radiation damage in heterogeneous materials - a method in the process of being patented. He graduated from UNSW in 2020 with a dual degree in Mechanical Engineering and Advanced Physics and was awarded the University Medal in both degrees. 

PhD CANDIDATE – SCIENTIA SCHOLARSHIP

Ina received a degree in Chemistry from the Federal University of Florianopolis (UFSC) in 2011, in Brazil. She received the “Best Academic Records Award” for her performance during undergraduate. She spent one year studying at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) from 2009 to 2010. During her masters, in 2017, she spent time studying the physical nature of non-covalent interactions in Supramolecular frameworks employing Density Functional Theory.

In 2020 she joined the UNSW Hoex Group as a UNSW Scientia PhD Scholar in the School of Photovoltaics and Solar Energy Engineering at UNSW Sydney. Currently, she is using First Principle hybrid DFT calculations the rationally design earth-abundant catalysts for next-generation fuel cell, and with the knowledge of the electronic properties obtained, plan future experiments to confirm the theoretical results.

PhD CANDIDATE (USyd)

Degradation of zirconium alloys in the nuclear industry occurs as a result of hydrogen ingress. However, despite decades of research towards understanding how hydrogen interacts with zirconium alloys, there is still limited atomic-scale information about hydrogen interaction with microstructural features.

Siyu’s project investigates how hydrogen is distributed in materials before it forms hydrides, with specific reference to grain boundaries, dislocations and second-phase particles. He uses advanced microscopy techniques, including state-of-the-art cryo atom probe tomography and tailored deuterium-charging protocols.

PhD CANDIDATE

Sercan is a Civil and Mechanical Engineer and current PhD candidate at UNSW with an interest in Nuclear Materials.

He received two Bachelor’s degrees as an honour student in Civil and Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s degree in the energy field. After gaining experience as an engineer, he joined the Nuclear Energy Group in 2022, researching Ultra High Temperature Ceramics (UHTC) with a focus on Boron isotopes, aiming to develop new materials for advanced nuclear fission and fusion applications.      

Besides his interest in science, he plays football and chess in his leisure time.

Samaneh obtained her PhD at Griffith University, with a thesis entitled “Hydrogen Properties in Palladium”. Her PhD research focused on the physics of energy-related materials, including superconductors and hydrogen storage materials.  Subsequently, she joined UNSW as a postdoctoral researcher to develop materials for nuclear shielding applications and predict radiation effects on these materials through atomic-scale simulations. She was honoured with a prestigious postdoctoral fellowship from the Australian Government in 2023, supporting her studies on the development of semiconductors for harsh environments, including space.

Samaneh is an interdisciplinary researcher with a strong interest in renewable energy, radiation-material interactions, condensed matter physics, biophysics and medical physics. Samaneh thrives in collaborative environments and frequently collaborates with colleagues from diverse backgrounds, both in academia and industry.

Jenny completed her PhD at UNSW/ANSTO, specialising in the in situ characterisation of layered oxides for sodium battery applications. In 2021, she joined the Nuclear Energy Group. Her current research interests focus on using X-ray and neutron diffraction to characterise accident-tolerant fuels and shielding materials for nuclear applications. Her projects are highly collaborative across industry and academia, working with diverse colleagues across the world.

Jenny is also passionate about education – she held a Teaching Fellowship position in the School of Chemistry during her PhD and is currently an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Through teaching and outreach, she aims to be a role model for women and non-binary people in STEM. Jenny is also an outdoor enthusiast and is often found climbing in the Blue Mountains in her spare time.

PhD

Dillon completed his PhD on mixed oxide nuclear fuel properties, in collaboration between AtomCraft (UNSW) and ANSTO. Prior to that, he completed his Master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering at UNSW. Dillon has worked at Alkane Minerals as a junior metallurgist, process operator and laboratory technician, and with the CLP Nuclear Group (Hong Kong). On the weekends, Dillon races go-karts, plays tennis, and enjoys getting his hands dirty servicing cars.

Dillon now works as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission in France.

PhD

Vidur attained a PhD - sponsored by Westinghouse Electric Sweden - on the “Radiation effect on re-distribution of alloying elements in Zr metal, oxide and suboxides” in July 2022 in the AtomCraft group. Following this, he continued with the group as a post-doctoral researcher, working with the MUZIC-3 project, which aims to understand the effect of irradiation-induced solute redistribution on corrosion in different phases of Zr.

Prior to his PhD, he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering and a Master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering. His work experience includes working as a planning engineer at an aircraft MRO company and consulting work with PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Post-doctoral research associate

After finishing his PhD at the University of Sydney in 2020, Jiatu joined the nuclear engineering team at UNSW. His PhD explored in situ neutron diffraction, X-ray absorption spectroscopy and first-principles calculation of battery materials. Before this, Bowen completed his Master’s degree on electron microscopy characterization of battery materials’ at Central South University in China.

Jiatu’s now works as a post-doctoral researcher at MAX IV synchrotron laboratory in Sweden.

PhD

Bowen’s PhD research focuses on module-based capacitive energy storage devices implemented to help integrate photovoltaic power into the grid, buffering rapid fluctuations of PV generation and allowing the generator to control ramp rates to satisfy grid needs. The fast-dynamic response and high specific power of a capacitive energy storage complement the highly variable power output of the PV source to yield the compatibility and performance characteristics of a non-intermittent generator. He also researches circuit modelling for electrochemical capacitors, elucidating the physical and chemical properties of electrodes and electrolytes for electrochemical capacitors.

Bowen now works for the China Electric Power Research Institute in China.

PhD

The quest to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of photovoltaic energy has resulted in the investigation of novel materials as carrier selective contacts. Molybdenum Oxide (MoO₃) has been found to be able to provide carrier separation and provide a passivating layer without parasitic absorption, and without the need for complex patterning. Daniel’s research investigates the defects of this material using atomistic DFT simulations, tying theoretical computations to real-world outcomes by predicting defect concentrations in this material under different preparation conditions.

Daniel now works as a Postdoctoral Researcher at Trinity College Dublin with Prof. David O’Regan.

Post Doctoral Research Associate

Conor completed his PhD in the Centre for Nuclear Engineering at Imperial College London, researching the dynamic properties of materials using atomic-scale computer simulations. In particular, he studied the properties of mixed oxide fuels in solid and liquid states and the behaviour of fission gas in nuclear fuel. Before this, Conor completed his Master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering at the same college, collaborating with ANSTO, investigating the oxygen diffusion and permeability of nuclear-related materials, both experimentally and computationally.

Conor is now a Postdoctoral Researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory, US.

POSTDOCTORAL VISITING FELLOW – UNSW Sydney (2016-2019)

Daniel completed his PhD at the University of Technology Sydney in 2016 with a thesis entitled High-entropy alloys for use in advanced nuclear applications. Currently, he is working on reactor pressure vessel steels funded by an EPSRC research grant. In this project, he is using density functional theory to investigate the drive for the formation of Mn-Ni-Si clusters in low alloy ferritic steel. Dr King’s expertise is in materials modelling on the atomic scale. He is also the author of a widely used prediction tool for high-entropy alloys - Alloy Search And Predict (ASAP).

Daniel now works as a Machine Learning Engineer (Generative AI) at HSBC.

VISITING PROFESSOR, UNSW Sydney (2013-2019)
PROFESSOR – IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON

Prof Robin Grimes, OBE, FRS, FREng, is a professor of Materials Physics at Imperial College London and University College London. He is currently the Foreign secretary to the Royal Society, and until recently he was chief scientific adviser in the UK’s Ministry of Defense, and the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office. He is a visiting academic at UNSW, where he teaches in the Masters of Nuclear Engineering and actively collaborates with Patrick Burr and his group to understand nuclear materials through atomic scale simulations.

VISITING ACADEMIC – UNSW Sydney (2019)
SENIOR LECTURER – University of Sheffield

Katerina is a Lecturer in Metallurgy at the University of Sheffield, having previously held research and project management roles at the Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, the University of Manchester and the University of Cambridge. Working at the interface between Industry and Academia, her research aims to develop new alloys capable of withstanding the demanding environment of novel jet engine designs. She has patents and papers on Ni-based and Co-based superalloys, and high entropy alloys. Katerina’s expertise ranges from alloy manufacture to advanced characterisation techniques including thermal analysis, microscopy, neutron and synchrotron diffraction, and thermodynamic modelling. Find out more here.

POSTDOCTORAL VISITING FELLOW – UNSW Sydney (2018)

Claudia is a Research Associate in the Centre for Nuclear Engineering in the Department of Materials at Imperial College London where she is currently working on the phenomenon of neutron irradiation embrittlement in nuclear reactors. Her research interests span from nuclear fuels – including current work on advanced technology fuel carried out at UNSW – to waste management and decommissioning. In her PhD, she investigated oxidation treatments of uranium carbide for the long term storage of nuclear fuels. Claudia graduated from Padua University, Italy with an MSc degree in Chemical Engineering after performing studies in Nuclear Engineering mostly at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Sweden. Find out more here.

VISITING LECTURER – UNSW Sydney
NUCLEAR CHEMIST – ANSTO

Jessica is a Nuclear Chemist in the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Research Theme at ANSTO. Jessica undertook her PhD part-time jointly at the University of Sydney and ANSTO (2011-2016), researching novel materials for radiochemical separations. These kinds of materials have applications for the treatment of nuclear waste but also mining and wastewater clean-up. Jessica has expertise in the synthesis and characterisation of organic and inorganic materials including organo-functionalised porous frameworks and ceramics. She is interested in designing and understanding materials that can be used to improve safety and sustainability at the front and back ends of the nuclear fuel cycle. Find out more here.

PVCR – University of Sydney
CEO – Microscopy Australia

Professor Julie Cairney grew up in outback Australia in the town of Broken Hill. She studied Materials Science and Engineering at UNSW under a scholarship from Pasminco Limited (a former mining company based in Broken Hill). In 2002, she was awarded a PhD (Physical Metallurgy) also from UNSW. The next few years were spent working as a researcher at the University of Birmingham, UK and the Max Planck Institute for Metals Research in Stuttgart, Germany, before returning to Australia. She is currently working at The University of Sydney as a Professor in the School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering and as a Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research – Enterprise and Engagement), and is the Chief Scientific Advisor of Microscopy Australia.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR – UNSW Sydney

I obtained my PhD in materials science in 2010 at the Chinese Academy of Science Institute of Metal Research, researching titanium bio-materials, then worked on manufacture and repair technology in the gas turbine power industry and later, at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, I designed and managed a hot cell facility for nuclear materials research and radioactive materials testing. I also designed and performed engineering analysis of, nuclear materials testing facilities that are now part of the Open-Pool Australian Light-water Reactor. At UNSW Sydney, I research new materials and technology that enhance the safe and sustainable deployment of nuclear energy. This includes my original field of materials science, plus essentially human focused research such as virtual reality tools for remote handling and blockchain (shared ledger) systems for nuclear materials tracking. I teach courses on the UNSW MEng.Sci in nuclear engineering and I contribute to space engineering research. 

FUTURE FELLOW – UNSW Sydney

I am a Research and Teaching academic in the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering and an ARC Future Fellow (2017-2021). My research focuses on the areas of silicon solar cell metallisation and interconnection, optical modelling for photovoltaics and more recently high power lithium ion storage and autonomous solar energy harvesting devices. Within the Learning & Teaching space, I have been actively involved in developing innovative teaching approaches, especially using gamification for greater student engagement. I have led the development of both the PV Factory and PlayEnergy teaching software and will in 2020 lead one of the initial vertically-integrated projects in the Faculty of Engineering's project-based learning trial. Prior to my employment at UNSW in 2010, I worked as a research scientist at Canon Information Systems Research Australia, where I was involved in research ranging from display and printing device simulations to the development of materials/technology for printing, imaging and display applications.