Nanoscale Horizons Emerging Investigator Series: Dr Shelly Conroy, Imperial College London, UK

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Abstract

Our Emerging Investigator Series features exceptional work by early-career nanoscience and nanotechnology researchers. Read Shelly Conroy's Emerging Investigator Series article ‘A workflow for correlative in situ nanochip liquid cell transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography enabled by cryogenic plasma focused ion beam’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D5NH00310E) and read more about her in the interview below.

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Dr Shelly Conroy is an associate professor in the Department of Materials at Imperial College London. Her research centres on understanding how interfaces in materials evolve under real operating conditions, particularly in systems relevant to energy and quantum technologies. Her work spans both the growth of thin films and the atomic-scale characterisation of the dynamic processes that govern their behaviour.

Her group develops and applies advanced correlative characterisation approaches, combining in situ electron microscopy, electrochemical measurements, hard X-ray beamline experiments and cryogenic atom probe tomography. By bringing together techniques across multiple length scales, her research links dynamic behaviour directly to atomic-scale chemistry and structure, enabling complex interfaces to be studied in ways that were not previously possible.

Conroy is supported by a Royal Society Tata University Research Fellowship and an ERC Consolidator Grant (DISCO). She was previously a Research Ireland Industry Fellow at Analog Devices and a Staff Scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. She is also currently a Mercator Fellow at the University of Erlangen–Nuremberg and a Principal Researcher in Advanced Electron Microscopy at Tyndall National Institute.

Read Shelly Conroy's Emerging Investigator Series article ‘A workflow for correlative in situ nanochip liquid cell transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography enabled by cryogenic plasma focused ion beam’ (https://doi.org/10.1039/D5NH00310E ) and read more about her in the interview below.

NH: Your recent Nanoscale Horizons Communication describes a workflow for correlative in situ nanochip liquid cell transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography enabled by cryogenic plasma focused ion beam. How has your research evolved from your first article to this most recent article and where do you see your research going in future?

SC: Our early work focused on developing advanced microscopy workflows, but we have since expanded to include in situ liquid cell electrochemistry, hard X-ray beamline experiments, and atomic-scale cryogenic APT and TEM. This opens up new possibilities for correlating experiments performed at a national facility such as Diamond Light Source with atomic-scale cryogenic analysis in a university setting. Moving forward, we plan to analyse a wider range of materials, including 2D-based electrodes and sodium-based electrolytes, to better understand dynamic processes in next-generation energy systems across multiple length scales.

NH: How do you feel about Nanoscale Horizons as a place to publish research on this topic?

SC: Nanoscale Horizons is an excellent platform for innovative, interdisciplinary research and reaches the right audience for this type of advanced microscopy work.

NH: What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?

SC: The ability to use correlative characterisation techniques to finally probe the liquid–solid interfaces of energy materials, directly linking dynamic in situ observations with atomic-scale compositional analysis.

NH: In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in this field of research?

SC: How materials evolve at the atomic level under real operating conditions, and how we can reliably correlate structure, chemistry and time across multiple techniques.

NH: What do you find most challenging about your research?

SC: Fusing data across multiple length scales and different characterisation equipment, while avoiding preparation artefacts and ensuring that the correlations between techniques are reliable and meaningful.

NH: In which upcoming conferences or events may our readers meet you?

SC: I am especially excited for the MRS Spring Meeting, particularly our symposium on Advanced Electron Microscopy and Spectroscopy for the Investigation of Energy and Functional Materials.

NH: How do you spend your spare time?

SC: I love hanging out with my dog, hiking, watching ice hockey, and I have especially enjoyed following the Winter Olympics this year.

NH: Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

SC: Be curious, collaborate widely, and do not feel pressured to simply follow the exact path of your supervisor or previous lab. As an early career researcher, it is important to try new ideas, take intellectual risks, and carve out your own niche—that is often how truly impactful work begins.

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