Research Fellow in Electron Crystallography Data Processing

UCL; Greater London; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

University College London invites applications for a fixed-term research appointment in the Advanced Microscopy and Crystallography Lab. The project investigates scattering processes and detector interactions in electron crystallography to optimise measurement and integration of electron diffraction data, to be implemented in DIALS.

The appointee will hold a PhD (or near completion) in physics, chemistry, or materials science, contribute to modelling and software development, and collaborate

Qualifications

• PhD in physics, chemistry, materials science or a related discipline.
• Strong background in crystallography or electron microscopy.
• Experience with scattering/diffraction theory or modelling.

Responsibilities

• Design and maintain the group's research software and lead publications.

Skills

Crystallography

Electron microscopy

Diffraction theory

Theoretical modelling

Education

PhD in physics, chemistry, materials science or related

Tools

DIALS

CCP4

Job description

This post offers the opportunity to join an exciting new research project at University College London (UCL) investigating how scattering processes and detector interactions affect the measurement and extraction of integrated intensities in electron crystallography. The aim is to optimise the measurement and integration of electron diffraction data to deliver more accurate structural results.

Funded by the BBSRC award “Closing the data-quality gap for serial crystallography and electron diffraction”, the project marks the commencement of a new collaboration with Diamond Light Source and the STFC maintainers of DIALS and CCP4. The research will combine the development of a theoretical model of electron diffraction with the construction of a digital twin of the experiment. The resulting methods will be implemented in DIALS.

The appointee will be part of a collaborative team spanning UCL and Harwell with opportunities to spend time at Harwell working directly with project partners. They will also share responsibility for designing and maintaining the group’s research software supervising undergraduate and postgraduate researchers contributing to future funding proposals and leading the preparation of research publications.

The appointee will have a PhD (or near completion) in physics, chemistry, materials science or a related discipline, with a strong background in crystallography, electron microscopy, or theoretical modelling of scattering/diffraction. A strong understanding of the principles of crystallography and diffraction, and in-depth knowledge of either electron microscopy/diffraction or the theory of scattering processes (e.g. electron or X-ray scattering, wave optics or related physics) are required.

The appointment is for a fixed term of 36 months, starting as soon as possible. The candidate will join the Advanced Microscopy and Crystallography Lab led by Dr Andrew Stewart in the Department of Chemistry at the Bloomsbury Campus of University College London. Information about the group can be found at https://amclab.github.io

Closing date is on 3 December 2026.

Customer advert reference: B04-08