Prof Grace Burke appointed Royal Microscopical Society president

Professor Grace Burke, Director of the Materials Performance Centre at The University of Manchester, has been named the new president of the prestigious Royal Microscopical Society (RMS).

Officially appointed at the RMS's flagship event the Microscience Microscopy Congress 2019 (mmc2019) in Manchester this week, Professor Burke becomes the society's fourth female president - and first female president from the physical sciences field.

She has a wealth of experience, including 30 years as a research scientist in the US before arriving at Manchester in 2011 as Professor of Materials Performance and Director of the Materials Performance Centre.

Her research group's activities cover many areas, including irradiation damage, stress corrosion cracking and environment-sensitive behaviour of steels and Ni-base alloys, as well as in situ analytical TEM techniques applied to understanding material performance.

Established in 1839, the RMS is the oldest microscopy society in the world and is dedicated to furthering the science of microscopy.

Speaking to the RMS prior to mmc2019, Professor Burke said: "I am honoured, excited and indeed humbled to become president of such an internationally prominent society that has such an important, historic foundation."