Research Assistant in Design and applications of LCE (Fixed Term)

A research assistant at the Cavendish Laboratory investigates liquid crystalline polymers and elastomers, with the aim of developing new polymeric materials with anisotropic properties and exploring their applications in damping and adhesion. The work is funded by the ERC Synergy grant 101167171 "Atypical Liquid Crystal Elastomers" (ALCEMIST), a close collaboration with the University of Luxembourg and Nova University of Lisbon. The postholder joins Professor Eugene M.

Terentjev's group and the wider ALCEMIST team, assisting with physical-chemistry laboratory work to produce new liquid crystal elastomer materials and test vibration and sound attenuation, building internal and external contacts and planning the use of research resources. The position is available from February 2027 and funded for 12 months in the first instance, with a salary range of £33,662-£36,320.

Experience in polymer chemistry and the structure-property relationships of responsive polymer networks, and/or machine learning and AI training in polymer or materials science, is a significant advantage.