Physicist Showcase

Key figures in the history of the department

Click on a person's profile to watch them talk about the history and development of the department, their research work, their inspiration and why they chose Durham.

Prof. Paula Chadwick

Paula Chadwick is Head of the Department of Physics and her research investigates gamma-ray astronomy and astroparticle physics.

Prof. Alan Martin

Alan Martin is an Emeritus Professor known for his research in the theory of elementary particles, including kaon physics, pi–pi scattering, hadron spectroscopy & muons.

Prof. Brian Tanner

Brian is an Emeritus Professor and formerly Dean of Knowledge Transfer, and is best known for research and business applications of X-ray diffraction topography.

Prof. Chris Done

Obtaining her PhD at Cambridge, Prof. Chris Done has focused on black holes, the ultimate triumph of gravity, with spacetime so warped that not even light can escape.

Prof. Mark Swinbank

Mark is an astronomer in the Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy. His research interests concern formation and evolution of galaxies, their clusters and interactions.

Prof. Peter Hatton

Peter is the Director of the Durham X-ray Centre, the largest interdisciplinary research centre in the University, and specialises in x-ray scattering techniques.

Prof. Shaun Cole

Shaun is the Director of the Institute for Computational Cosmology. His research interests are Galaxy Formation and Large-scale structure.

Professor Chris Done

The future of X-ray detectors

Chris Done talks about the things that paved the way for her research and what she is working on now.

What led you to a Physics degree?

Chris talks about her interest in Physics from being a schoolgirl to studying at Cambridge and then working with NASA's Goddard Space Center flight programme.

What has been the biggest change to Durham since your arrival?

Chris Done talks about the biggest changes to occur at Durham University since she joined the Physics department

What is your favourite location on the Science Site?

Chris Done talks about her favourite places on the Science Site, chiefly being her office in the Ogden West Building, home of the University's cosmologists.

Chris Done's reasons for coming to Durham and the cosmological research that she has helped develop in her time here

There have been a lot of changes in Astronomy since Chris Done joined the Department.

Where did Chris' passion for Physics start, and how popular culture and electronics have influenced that passion over the years

Chris has always had a strong interest in electronics - her father was a TV repair man. In this video she talks about some of the electronics projects she has worked on.