Earth and material sciences both benefit from the work I did during my PhD in Bayreuth University in Germany, after my studies in Greece: I studied the effects of pulsed laser heating on materials at high pressure, such as their time-resolved temperature behaviour and chemical reactivity. I am more focused on advancing the experimental technique than in the samples themselves. My experience with synchrotrons is substantial: I spent a year in DESY and I have been a user of different ESRF beamlines many times.
What drove me to apply for a job here? I liked the atmosphere at the ESRF, I knew my group well, and the city of Grenoble is very nice. I arrived here with my family in July and we still have many boxes to empty and paperwork to sort out. Everything is new and there is lots to do in a new language, and at the time of covid19, it can quickly be a bit complicated. But we’ll get there. During my post-doctoral contract, I will work on improving the laser heating system on the beamline, make the most of the possibilities that the new ESRF-EBS will offer in the field and I will be in charge of the high-pressure users.