Dr Amy Gandy

MPhys (Hons), PhD

School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering

Visiting Professor

Director of Postgraduate Taught Courses

Royce Technology Platform Lead in Advanced Characterisation to Understand Radiation Damage in Materials

Dr Amy Gandy
Profile picture of Dr Amy Gandy
a.gandy@sheffield.ac.uk
Sir Robert Hadfield Building

Full contact details

Dr Amy Gandy
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
Sir Robert Hadfield Building
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
Profile

Amy joined the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in 2011 to investigate the effect of radiation damage on the atomic and nano-structure of model nuclear waste glasses. Her current research focuses on radiation-induced damage and recovery mechanisms, and gas bubble formation, in poly-crystalline oxide-based materials and advanced multicomponent alloys for nuclear fission and fusion.

Prior to this, Amy undertook a postdoctoral research position at the University of Manchester (2009-2011), having completed a joint PhD at the University of Salford and the University of Poitiers, France, in 2009 for which she used transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to understand ion beam implantation induced defect formation and interactions during thermal annealing in crystalline and amorphous silicon, relevant to the semiconductor industry.

Qualifications
  • 2020 - current: Senior Lecturer in Nuclear Materials Engineering, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield
  • 2015 - 2019: Lecturer in Nuclear Engineering, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield
  • 2011 - 2015: Research Associate, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield
  • 2009 - 2011: Research Associate, University of Manchester
  • 2006 - 2009: PhD, University of Salford and University of Poitiers, France
  • 1999 - 2003: MPhys Physics and Space Technology, University of Salford
Research interests

Amy's primary research is to develop materials for extreme environments, with interests in understanding radiation damage effects in solids, particularly in alloys and ceramics, and nuclear materials development. Amy's current PhD studentships are co-funded with the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE) and National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL), and collaborative projects are funded by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and EPSRC. Amy’s research centres on understanding radiation-induced defect formation, accumulation, and thermal recovery, and the development of new materials for the next generation of nuclear technologies (fission and fusion). Her group uses electron microscopy, including ion irradiation and thermal annealing in-situ in a TEM, and X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic methods, to characterise the structure of materials and ion beam induced defect morphologies.

Amy's interdisciplinary research is based across the NucleUS Immobilisation Science Laboratory (ISL), the Metallurgy, and Functional Materials and Devices groups. This cross-group membership drives development of Li-ceramics and reduced activation compositionally complex alloys (including the so-called high entropy alloys) for nuclear fusion, and the investigation of helium gas bubble formation and ion beam irradiation-induced defect formation and recovery mechanisms in materials for a range of applications.

Current projects:

  • Royal Academy of Engineering / Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship in Understanding Radiation Damage Mechanisms in Novel, Compositionally Complex Alloys (1 Sept 2021 – 31 August 2022). 
    Work Group Leader, Horizon 2020 funded COST Action Network (CA19140): Focused Ion Technology for Nanomaterials (FIT4NANO)
  • Development of Radiation Damage Resistant High Entropy Alloys for Advanced Nuclear Systems (EPSRC, EP/R021864/1)

Previous projects:

  • Indo-UK Civil Nuclear Network (EPSRC, EP/M018296/1)
  • Co-I on the Leverhulme Trust funded “PicoFIB Network”
Publications

Journal articles

Conference proceedings papers

Research group
Dr Hamed Shahmir, PDRA, working on the development of radiation damage resistant high entropy alloys for advanced nuclear systems (EPSRC)

Dhinisaben Patel, PhD student, working on high entropy alloys for fusion: Exploration of novel processing routes and HEA stability in extreme environments (Advanced Metallic Systems CDT and Culham Centre for Fusion Energy)

Samuel Waters, PhD student, working on ceramic breeder materials for fusion (EPSRC DTA and Culham Centre for Fusion Energy)
 
Enrique Casanas Montesdeoca, PhD student, working on application of novel ceramic synthesis to the development of lithium-containing fuels for nuclear fusion (EPSRC DTA)
 
Kavi Sharma, PhD student, working on enhancing understanding of the fundamental mechanisms which influence AGR cladding behaviour (Advanced Metallic Systems CDT and National Nuclear Laboratory)
Professional activities and memberships
  • Member of the Editorial Team for the UKAEA UK Fusion Materials Roadmap UK-Fusion-Materials-Roadmap-030921-Interactive.pdf (ukaea.uk)
  • Member of the Analytical Electron Microscope with In Situ Capability for β, γ Active Materials (RadIAEM)
  • Member of the Royal Society’s International Exchanges Committee (2019 - present)
  • Guest Editor, Frontiers in Materials, Special Issue: Rising Star (2019 to 2021)
  • Recipient of the "Rising Star" award by the journal Frontiers in Materials (2018)
  • Member of the L'Oreal UNESCO Women in Science Fellowships Review Panel (2015 to present)
  • Member of the EPSRC Fusion Advisory Board (2017 - present)
  • Member of the IOM3 Women in Materials Committee (2016 - 2020)
  • Deputy Chair of Women@TUoS (2017 - 2018)
Women in Engineering

We interviewed Amy for the Faculty of Engineering's Wall of Women when she was a Lecturer in Nuclear Engineering. Here's Amy's interview:

The Wall of Women profiles were taken over a 4/5 year time period and are a snapshot of what our engineers were doing at that time.