Education
2015 – PhD in Materials Theory, ETH Zürich
Advisors: Profs. Claude Ederer & Nicola Spaldin
Thesis: Can the Aurivillius Phases be Multiferroic? A First Principles Based Study
2012 – PhD in Computational Materials Physics, Trinity College Dublin
work continued at ETH Zürich
2010 – MSc. in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces, Imperial College London
Advisor: Prof. Arttu Rajantie
Thesis: The Ising model as a first step towards Quantum Field Theory/Condensed Matter Theory
2008 – BSc. in Physics, King’s College London
Supervisors: Prof. M. Sakellariadou & Dr. W. Nelson
Thesis: Classical and quantum mechanical properties of black holes
Research Experience & Employment
Present – Postdoctoral Fellow at National Research Council of Canada.
Quantum Theory group, Security and Disruptive Technologies
Advisor: Prof. Isaac Tamblyn
2018 – Postdoctoral Researcher at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Physical Science Directorate, Material Science & Technology Division
Advisors: Drs. Albina Borisevich (Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy) & Valentino R. Cooper (Materials Theory)
2015 – Visiting Scientist in Prof. Kolpak’s group, MIT (unaffiliated)
Other Scientific Activities
2018 – Advocacy for diversity in STEM
Raised funds, organized, and spoke at multiple events, advised directors & diversity officers on the specific challenges and solutions for women & queer scientists. Received ORNL Supplementary Performance Award for it
2017 – Co-Organizer, Materials Theory Journal Club & Seminar Series
Received ORNL Supplementary Performance Award for it
2013 – Co-Organizer, Special Graduate Symposium at DPG March Meeting
Topic: Topological Defects in Magnetic Materials: From Devices to Cosmos
Selected topic, invited speakers, raised 1’000 Euros, coordinated with DPG/jDPG
2007 – Intern, French Space Agency (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales)
Literature review of 5 years of accumulated scientific data from ESA’s satellite
INTEGRAL, online bilingual report to specialized and general audiences.
2002 – Intern, Italian Space Agency (Alenia Spazio)
Awards & Proposals
2018 – National Research Council of Canada Postdoctoral Fellowship
Lesbians Who Tech Leadership Summit (1 in 6 selected to attend)
2018 & 2017 – Special Performance Award
Two years in a row: recognizing service to the Material Science & Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
2017 – Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility: Director’s Discretion
3 million hours on TITAN (CPU/GPU hybrid supercomputer)
2013 – AT Kearny Falling Walls Scholar, Berlin
2010 – Trinity Postgraduate Research Studentship, Trinity College Dublin
Teaching Experience
Project Supervisor for Masters & Final Year Bachelor students, ETH Zurich
J. van den Broek: Origin of Ferroelectricity in 2-Layered Aurivillius
N. Fanelli & R. Hömberger: Ferroelectricity in Strained Aurivillius Bi5FeTi3O15
Certificate: Learning to Teach for English speaking Teaching Assistant, ETH
Teaching Assistant
MSc. Solid State Physics & Chemistry of Materials, ETH
Mathematics for Junior Freshman, Trinity College Dublin
Lab Demonstrator
Computational Techniques for Material Science, ETH
Physics for Junior Freshman, Trinity College Dublin
Society Memberships
- American Physical Society
- National Postdoctoral Association
- Women in High Performance Computing
- National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals Inc.
- (past) Institute of Physics (UK’s physical society)
- (past) Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft (Germany’s physical society)
Axiel Yaël Birenbaum 