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Dr Alison Edwards

Alison Edwards
Dr Alison Edwards
Instrument Scientist

Role at ANSTO

Dr Alison Edwards is a specialist in structural chemistry and chemical crystallography who pushes the limits of technical feasibility and applies critical analysis to extract structures from the data measured to advance our fundamental knowledge of the structure of chemical compounds – not all of which are new! Neutron single crystal chemical crystallography presents a rich largely untapped vein which, due to the renaissance in Laue diffraction methods (employing the un-monochromated beam), can now be tapped. The Laue neutron diffractometer Koala , at ANSTO, has brought chemical crystallography within the scope of neutron diffraction studies and is leading to significant insights into materials of interest across a broad range of chemical sub-disciplines.

Alison has been mentored by colleagues of distinction in crystallography, including during her Ph.D. studies with Dr Bernard Hoskins at the University of Melbourne and then as a post-doctoral researcher with Prof. Keith Prout in the Chemical Crystallography Laboratory at the University of Oxford, where she was a core member of the team who pioneered the application of the combination of solid-state NMR and X-ray crystallography to characterise a range of structural dynamics occurring in the crystalline state. Now approaching 30 years experience as a chemical crystallographer, Alison is delighted to discover recurring themes in unexpected places and hopes to continue to contribute to the understanding of chemistry through crystallography.

Qualifications & Achievements

  • Bachelor of Science (Hons. 1) University of Melbourne 1985
  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Melbourne 1990
  • With almost 100 publications across a broad range of chemistry, Alison is proud of the high levels of citation of the research in which she has had a leading role, and she also considers that she has been privileged to participate in significant studies led by others who have sought out her crystallographic expertise.

Committees, Memberships & Affiliations

  • Society of Crystallographers in Australia and New Zealand (SCANZ), Program Committee, CRYSTAL XXV
  • Member SCANZ