Dr. Sam Harrison

My research involves the modelling of contaminants in the natural environment, with a particular focus on the fate and behaviour of engineered nanomaterials. Modelling such a broad system means the creation and coupling of numerous sub-models to incorporate, for example, hydrological flows, sediment transport, soil erosion and nanomaterial transformations. Ultimately, such a comprehensive picture of the environment will further the understanding of not just our contribution to environmental contamination, but our impacts on the natural world as a whole.

I have a background in Quantum Physics and Nanotechnology, and my PhD was undertaken as part of the Quantum Nanotechnology Group in Lancaster University's Department of Physics. My work involved the fabrication, characterisation and computational modelling of semiconductor nanostructures to further research into two distinct applications: renewable hydrogen production by photoelectrolysis, and; high-speed lasers for next-generation data communications.

I take great pride and enjoyment in communicating my research to the general public and I am passionate about bringing scientific topics to non-scientific audiences, be it through posters, presentations or poems. In particular, I am an advocate of fully utilising modern software tools to create unique and informative data visualisations and applications. I have been actively involved Schools Outreach activities in the past, providing lectures, workshops and lab session to high school children in the area.

Find me on ResearchGate.