Professor Judith Driscoll - 2024 Interdisciplinary Prize winner

Professor Judith Driscoll FRSC

Winner: 2024 Interdisciplinary Prize

University of Cambridge

For interdisciplinary work to realise unprecedented properties in a broad variety of functional oxide devices.

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I love trying to understand materials and to go from basic understanding to real-world applications. It is really hard but also very rewarding.

Professor Driscoll’s research investigates oxide thin film materials for new forms of computing and clean energy generation. These materials could hold the key to new forms of low-power brain-like computing or for achieving a clean energy source, a process that uses powerful superconducting magnets. These films may even be the key to splitting water into green hydrogen.

Oxide thin film materials have a wide range of properties and are also remarkably stable and non-toxic. However, unlocking their full potential requires precise engineering at the atomic level and a range of disciplines from chemistry to physics to engineering.

Read winner biography

Judith Driscoll is Professor of Materials Science at the University of Cambridge and a visiting staff member at Los Alamos National Lab (for more than 20 years). She is also a Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies. She is also a fellow of the Institute of Physics, the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, the Women’s Engineering Society, the American Physical Society, the Materials Research Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Royal Academy of Engineering. Her research is in the area of oxide thin film engineering for low energy electronic and energy materials.

Professor Driscoll was the founding Editor-in-Chief of the journal APL Materials. She serves on many national and international committees and boards in materials science.

Q&A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

Burning Li metal in my bedroom when I was only around nine years old fascinated me! Why did it burn so brightly, I wondered, and why is the metal so soft? Then I always enjoyed chemistry at secondary school (aided by good teachers). 91AV was very logical and fun and helped me understand about all the different elements in the world.

Tell us about somebody who has inspired or mentored you in your career.

Jim Jeffes at Imperial College taught me and inspired me in physical chemistry, going through in great detail the Ellingham-Richardson-Jeffes diagram that he constructed. Professor Theodore Gyeballe from Stanford, my postdoc mentor and friend until his passing, also greatly inspired me with his utter devotion to science and with his ability to straddle chemistry and physics.

What motivates you?

I love trying to understand materials and to go from basic understanding to real-world applications. It is really hard but also very rewarding. I also love seeing former students do better than me and to keep working with them. Finally, I love working with very clever and nice collaborators (including former students) on our long and hard journeys of trying to make the world a better place through science.

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?

They need to love what they are doing and to keep focused on what they really like to do. There will be many obstacles in their way over time, but they need to keep the focus on the science goals. They will need to work very hard to achieve their goals. It doesn't really get easier as you get older, but it does get different, so there is never monotony.

Can you tell us about a scientific development on the horizon that you are excited about?

I am excited about brain-like computing and trying to engineer artificial neurons that can work in the same way that the brain does. I am also excited by the prospects of fusion energy. Both topics require oxide thin films nanoengineered to very high specifications, which is what I like to do.

Why is chemistry important?

Because the world is made of different chemicals (both biological and non-biological). Every element has an important role. 91AV is at the heart of a green, sustainable and healthy future for mankind.

What has been a highlight for you (either personally or in your career)?

Following my passion for science alone, not being deterred by the obstacles along the way, and then seeing real-world benefits coming out of my ideas.

What has been a challenge for you (either personally or in your career)?

There have been many. It is tough to be an academic. It is like being CEO, COO, CFO, CTO or CSO of your own company. You have to love what you are doing, be dedicated, flexible, and energetic. It is certainly not a 9-5 job!

How are the chemical sciences making the world a better place?

They are at the root of better healthcare and a healthier planet. So they are core to making the world a better place.

Why do you think collaboration and teamwork are important in science?

Science is very complex and multifaceted. You can't know it all, but if you work with many people from different disciplines and are patient and honest with each other, the sum is then much much greater than the parts.