I love being in the bush, particularly if rock-climbing is involved. It’s harder to get out now with my daughter, but we always have lots of fun when we do.
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NAME: Vanessa Kate Peterson
CURRENT TITLE: Principal Research & Neutron Instrument Scientist, Honorary Professorial Fellow ORGANISATION: Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering and the University of Wollongong AREA OF EXPERTISE: Characterization of functional materials, using a broad range of neutron and X-ray scattering in combination with computational methods. YEARS OF EXPERIENCE: 17 EDUCATION: Graduated Busby primary school (NSW) in 1993, Sefton High school (selective stream) in 1994, B. App. Sc. with First Class Honours in 2000 and Ph.D.in 2004 from the University of Technology, Sydney, & the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization (ANSTO). WEBSITE/TWITTER: Google Scholar ANSTO Staff Profile |
What does your job involve?
Discussing research results and progress with postdoctoral and graduate researchers (my favourite part!). Emails & administrative duties such as booking and acquitting travel, writing grants & applications (my least favourite part). Planning experiments at large-scale facilities alongside collaborators, handling and preparing samples, preparing sample environments. Planning/writing proposals. Data correction/reduction and analysis, writing & revising papers, reviewing papers & proposals, preparing presentations.
Extracurricular professional work such as for gender equity committees, teaching powder diffraction, or for organizations such as the International Centre for Diffraction Data and AXAA (!)
Discussing research results and progress with postdoctoral and graduate researchers (my favourite part!). Emails & administrative duties such as booking and acquitting travel, writing grants & applications (my least favourite part). Planning experiments at large-scale facilities alongside collaborators, handling and preparing samples, preparing sample environments. Planning/writing proposals. Data correction/reduction and analysis, writing & revising papers, reviewing papers & proposals, preparing presentations.
Extracurricular professional work such as for gender equity committees, teaching powder diffraction, or for organizations such as the International Centre for Diffraction Data and AXAA (!)
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What’s a typical day like?
I alternate between most of the tasks above. When I am running an experiment I might spend all day (and sometimes all night) in the instrument enclosure or cabin, or all day doing data analysis/paper writing/reviewing. What do you love about working with X-rays and neutrons?
I love being able to understand materials function at the atomic scale. To learn why a material behaves the way it does and to uncover new and better ways of achieving function. What’s challenging?
As with science more generally, there isn’t a prescribed way to gain understanding or insight. Discoveries cannot be predicted - they arise from the unknown, which is challenging. I enjoy the creativity required to overcome these challenges and the collaboration that this often involves. |
At the Australian Synchrotron, Melbourne.
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Any advice to people looking for a career in X-ray or neutron analysis?
Follow your interest, be honest in your learning, collaborations, and seek to publish results that advance understanding. From this reputation will build & employment opportunities created.
Why is it good to be involved with AXAA?
It is fascinating to learn what other researchers are involved in studying. AXAA importantly brings together researchers, industry, and equipment manufacturers, with these groups all having important investments in advancing characterization, which are driven by their interaction. It is very exciting to see the moments where this happens. I love that AXAA supports the next-generation of researchers in characterization too.
Follow your interest, be honest in your learning, collaborations, and seek to publish results that advance understanding. From this reputation will build & employment opportunities created.
Why is it good to be involved with AXAA?
It is fascinating to learn what other researchers are involved in studying. AXAA importantly brings together researchers, industry, and equipment manufacturers, with these groups all having important investments in advancing characterization, which are driven by their interaction. It is very exciting to see the moments where this happens. I love that AXAA supports the next-generation of researchers in characterization too.