Assistant Lecturer

Eddie Cussen obtained his first degree in Materials Chemistry from the University of Nottingham in 1995. He then moved to the Oxford where he obtained his doctorate developing new magnetic oxide materials by using crystal chemistry to arrange magnetic metal ions into unusual arrangements. This drives the formation of novel magnetic states – such as magnetoresistive phases, materials that are switched from insulators to metals on the application of a magnetic field. He extended this use of crystal chemistry to develop gas-sieving porous materials during his postdoctoral work at Liverpool University. The insights into gas dynamics in solids were useful in developing his independent research career when he was awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship to look at ion movement in ceramic solids with a view to enhancing performance of battery materials. He held this Fellowship at Nottingham University (2002-2006) before moving to Strathclyde University in Glasgow to take up a Lectureship in Physical Chemistry then Sheffield in 2018 where he was promoted to Chair in 2020. A key achievement of his research career is developing a new family of solid ceramic electrolytes suitable for use in all solid state batteries. Along with these ‘lithium stuffed garnets’ he has continued to develop new magnetic materials in tandem with working on incorporating his new electrolytes into all solid state batteries by management of solid/solid interfaces and development of new cathode materials for lithium batteries.

He is a long-standing user of international diffraction facilities (such as ILL and ESRF in Grenoble, France as well as ISIS and Diamond facilities in Didcot, UK) and has served on several Access Panels that make recommendations regarding which scientific proposals receive beamtime at these facilities. He is a long-standing member of the Royal Society of Chemistry and has worked on a variety of roles there in Materials Chemistry division and prize committees and most recently as a member of the Neutron Scattering Group (jointly with the Institute of Physics).

Eddie has > 20 years of experience teaching chemistry to undergraduate students across a number of universities in both the English and Scottish education systems. In addition to teaching canonical physical and inorganic chemistry to first year Chemistry, Materials, Pharmacy and Bioscience students he has also developed novel courses on the application of computer simulation to problems in Materials Chemistry and developed practical teaching materials relating as director of the X-ray Diffraction centre at Sheffield.

Eddie has also worked in a number of University roles including Undergraduate admissions, Departmental Safety Convenor, and was part of the Departmental Executive Team at Sheffield where he had responsibility EDI and Wellbeing during the COVID crisis and successfully led the renewal application for the Athena SWAN Silver Award.

Eddie is married to Serena who has recently taken up a Chair in Chemistry at UCD. They are both kept busy looking after their two primary school aged boys. Prior to parenthood, Eddie was a keen triathlete and is hoping to get out into Wicklow on the bike and find some sort of fitness there.