Megan Leyland
PhD Student
Megan completed a BSc (Hons) with Industrial Placement in Natural Sciences (Chemistry and Physics) at the University of Bath in 2019. As part of her degree, she completed a placement year in a lab-based role in carbonate development at Imerys Minerals. Since graduating, Megan has worked at the UKAEA as a Materials Development Engineer then as a Corrosion Scientist, specialising in the interaction of materials with fusion environments with a focus on liquid metals.
Megan joined NFI in January 2023, while maintaining a role at the UKAEA, who are sponsoring her PhD research project in lithium chemistry. The project is focussed on applying thermal analysis techniques to the characterisation of lithium reactions across a range of temperatures, including the study of Li reactions with steels with controlled impurity addition. The project aims to develop understanding of the role of lithium reaction of impurities on the change in materials degradation rates and mechanisms.