Department of Materials welcomes new academics

The Department of Materials is set to welcome seven academics in new permanent positions.

We are delighted to welcome the following new lecturers to the Department of Materials.

Dr Shelly Conroy, Lecturer in Functional Thin Films and Microscopy

Starting on 1 April, Dr Shelly Conroy joined the Department of Materials as a Lecturer in Functional Thin Films and Microscopy.

Dr Conroy specialises in in-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). Her research aims to design quantum and energy materials at the atomic scale using electron and atom probe microscopy techniques.

Dr Conroy's group is part of the new Centre for Cryo Microscopy of Materials and Royce at Imperial.

Dr Samuel Humphry-Baker, Lecturer in Ceramics 

Starting on 1 September, Dr Samuel Humphry-Baker joined the Department of Materials as a Lecturer in Ceramics.

Dr Humphry-Baker's research aims to improve our understanding of material degradation in extreme fusion reactor environments, including thermal-mechanical stresses, corrosion, and irradiation damage.

This information is used to optimise the processing and microstructure of these materials for enhanced longevity and performance. The research includes structural ceramics and their associated composites.

Dr Jessica Wade, Lecturer in Functional Materials

Starting on 1 October, Dr Jessica Wade joined the Department of Materials as Lecturer in Functional Materials.

Dr Wade's research considers new materials for optoelectronic devices, focusing on chiral organic semiconductors.

Dr Wade is also involved with several science communication and outreach initiatives. She is committed to improving diversity in science, both online and offline, and since the start of 2018, has written Wikipedia biographies of women and people of colour scientists every single day.

Dr Reshma Rao, Lecturer in Nanomaterials 

Starting 1 October, Dr Reshma Rao has taken up a new three-year position as a Lecturer at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change.

Dr Rao will join the Department of Materials as a Lecturer in Nanomaterials in October 2026.

Dr. Rao's research interests include developing electrochemical technologies that can produce clean fuels and chemicals from renewable energy sources. She works on applying advanced materials characterization techniques to understand how catalytic materials operate and fail in these devices.

Using this insight, she aims to develop active and stable catalysts for electrochemical energy conversion technologies including (i) oxygen evolution, hydrogen evolution reactions (for water splitting in electrolysers) (ii) hydrogen oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions (for fuel cells) and (iii) selective hydrocarbon upconversion for production of value-added fuels and chemicals.

Dr Oriol Gavalda Diaz, Lecturer in Ceramics

Dr Oriol Gavalda Diaz is set to commence his role as a Lecturer in Ceramics, beginning on 2 January. Dr Gavalda Diaz will be joining us from the University of Nottingham.

His research aims to understand the failure of materials via micro and nano mechanical testing and advanced characterisation techniques to support the design of new ceramics and composite materials.

Dr Stephen Hanham, Senior Lecturer in Functional Materials

Dr Stephen Hanham is set to commence his role as a Senior Lecturer in Functional Materials, beginning on the 8 January. Dr Hanham will be joining us from the University of Birmingham where he was an Associate Professor in Electronic Engineering.

His research investigates metamaterials, plasmonic and nanomaterials for use in the millimetre-wave and terahertz frequency range. His research has been applied towards a diverse range of applications including 5G/6G communication systems, satellite sensing systems and biosensing

Dr Nima Haghdadi, Senior Lecturer in Engineering Alloys

Dr Nima Haghdadi is set to commence his role as a Lecturer in Engineering Alloys beginning on 15 January. Dr Haghdadi will be joining us from UNSW Sydney.

His research investigates the role of interfaces during additive manufacturing. Dr Haghdadi's research also considers thermomechanical processing, phase transformations in metallic materials, grain boundary and interface engineering, wear resistance of metallic materials and high Entropy Alloys.