Dr Adam Michalchuk MChem, PhD

• PhD Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, 2019
• MChem in Materials Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, 2014

Originally from Canada’s west coast, Adam moved to Scotland where he obtained his MChem (1^st Class, Materials Chemistry) from the University of Edinburgh in 2014.

Adam then pursued his PhD research split between the University of Edinburgh, UK (with Prof Carole Morrison and Prof Colin Pulham) and Novosibirsk State University, Russia (with Prof Elena Boldyreva), completing his studies in late 2018. At the University of Edinburgh his research combined neutron spectroscopy and ab initio simulation to study the structural dynamics of molecular solids, complemented by experimental solid-state research at Novosibirsk State University.

Following this, Adam moved to Berlin, Germany as a postdoctoral researcher with Dr Franziska Emmerling at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM). Here his research focused on developing synchrotron-based diffraction and spectroscopic methods to study solid-state reactions in situ. Adam was simultaneously a guest scientist at the Free University Berlin in the Department of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry hosted by Prof Beate Paulus. He was promoted to Senior Scientist at the BAM in 2021.

In October 2022 Adam moved to the University of Birmingham as an Assistant Professor of Physical Chemistry.

Our research focuses on understanding the atomistic origins of mechanically driven transformations in and between solids.

Our research consists of active programmes in both computational and experimental solid-state chemistry, spanning a broad range of topics including:

• Lattice dynamics
• High pressure chemistry
• Mechanochemical processes
• Energetic materials
• Synchrotron and neutron methods for in situ investigations

Associate Editor for Solid State Chemistry, Frontiers in Chemistry