Professor Ursel Bangert

Ursel Bangert is Bernal Chair in Microscopy and Imaging at the University of Limerick (Ireland), following positions of Reader and Lecturer at the University of Manchester, of Research Fellow at Surrey University (UK), and of PhD student at the Universität Köln (Germany).  Initial research in Nuclear Physics/Chemistry was followed by research in Solid State Physics and Materials Science with more than 30 years in the area of electron microscopy. She has been involved in the conception and managerial activities of prominent Electron Microscopy Facilities at Liverpool University (NorthWest STEM), at Daresbury Laboratories (SuperSTEM) and at Manchester University and is currently establishing an International Centre of Ultra-High-Resolution Imaging and Characterisation at the University of Limerick, to reveal materials’ features and dynamics on the atomic scale. Her current research concentrates on investigations of structure and structurally related opto-electronic properties of nano-materials, in particular of 2-dimensional materials (her characterisation of Graphene has contributed to the Nobel Prize achievement in 2010 by Prof. A. Geim). Internationally first research outcomes include TEM imaging and electron energy loss spectroscopy of individual atoms to reveal atomic structure, band-structure and dynamics, e.g., of individual electric dipoles in ferro-electrics, as well as the use of ion implantation to controllably functionalise 2-dimensional Materials for novel device functionalities in quantum devices, and visualisation of individual implants and their constellations and properties.

She has > 300 publications including Nature papers, Review Articles, Perspectives, Book Chapters, and has contributed prolifically at national and international conferences including numerous invited talks and seminars. 

She carries out teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including the development and coordination of new courses. She is/has been involved in academic enterprise and knowledge transfer through industrial research with, e.g., Analog Devices, DeBeers, Gatan, FEI, Shell, Bruker, Graphene Industries, Thomas Swan, BP Solar, GEC Plessey, Philips Research Labs, IBM Zürich.