Personal Biography

I obtained my first degree in Physics from the University of St Andrews in 2016, and completed my DPhil in Materials in 2021. I joined Corpus first as a Research Associate and subsequently as a Stipendiary Lecturer in Physics in 2023. I am a PDRA in the Department of Physics, working closely with Dr Nakita Noel on the study of halide perovskites for photovoltaic applications.

Research and Teaching

My research concentrates on the development of new methods for high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy on beam-sensitive materials, using low-dose scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). 

STEM is a powerful tool for elucidating the nanostructure of materials at the atomic scale. However, the effects of electron beam-induced damage are in many cases problematic and prevent us from accurately understanding the material nanostructure. During the course of my career I have worked on a range of beam-sensitive materials, including biological tissue, polymers and solid state batteries. While these materials may at first glance appear unrelated, they are linked by the challenges associated with studying them at the atomic scale. All are readily damaged by the electron beam, and are at the heart of particular active areas of current research interest. 

In my current role, I am focused on developing and applying novel imaging methods to study halide perovskites. These materials are promising candidates for next-generation energy applications, but the influence of their nanoscale structure on their optoelectronic properties is in general only poorly understood. By using low-dose STEM to bridge this gap, we can further improve the quality of hybrid perovskite materials for use in energy applications. 

As a Stipendiary Lecturer, I currently give CP3 & CP4 mathematics tutorials to Physics undergraduates. I also lecture part of the Mathematics for Materials Science course.

Selected Publications

X. Luo, A. M. Varambhia, W. Song, Z. Shen, A. A. Sheader, D. Ozkaya, S. Lozano Perez, P. D. Nellist, ‘Anisotropic elastic strain in Pt-Co catalyst nanoparticles measured by correlated atomic resolution imaging and spectroscopy’, submitted (2022)

M. Uller-Rothmann, J. S. Kim, J. Borchert, K. B. Lohmann, C. M. O’Leary, A. A. Sheader, L. Clark, H. J. Snaith, M. B. Johnston, P. D. Nellist, L. M. Herz, ‘Atomic-scale microstructure of metal halide perovskite’, Science 370(6516) pp. eabb5940 (2020)

T. Chen, I. Ellis, T. J.N. Hooper, L. Ye, B. Lo, C. M. O’Leary, A. A. Sheader, G. T. Martinez, L. B. Jones, P. Ho, P. Zhao, J. Cookson, P. T. Bishop, P. Chater, J. V. Hanna, P. D. Nellist, S. C. E. Tsang, ‘Interstitial Boron Atoms in Palladium Lattice of Industrial Type of Nano-catalyst: Direct Visualization, Properties and Structural Modifications’, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 141(50) pp.19616-19624 (2019)

A. A. Sheader, A. M. Varambhia, R. A. Fleck, S. J. L. Flatters, P. D. Nellist, ‘Observation of metal nanoparticles at atomic resolution in Pt-based cancer chemotherapeutics’, J. Microsc. 270(1) pp. 92-97 (2018)