ProfessorJulie Cairney

Professor Julie Cairney studies materials using advanced microscopy techniques that can image matter down to atomic scale. Their microstructure can then be related to their properties, and this knowledge can be used to engineer advanced materials with desirable properties such as superalloys, steels and hard coatings. 

She specialises in using advanced microscopy to study the three-dimensional structure of materials at the atomic scale. Her projects cover mitigation of hydrogen embrittlement in steels, corrosion, nuclear materials and biominerals. Many of these projects are carried out in collaboration with industry. Her work is published in the top international journals, including Science and Nature. She has received a number of awards for this work, including the 2020 Acta Materialia Silver Medal, an international prize that recognises scientific contributions and leadership in materials science. She is the author of over 300 publications, cited 20,000+ times, including a book on the subject of atom probe microscopy..