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Professor Benjamin Murray

Professor Benjamin Murray

Profile

Benjamin J Murray is a Professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of Leeds. He has over 100 papers published in the areas of ice nucleation, aerosol-cloud interactions, ice crystal structure and aerosol properties.  After completing his PhD in 2004 at the University of East Anglia, Murray moved to the University of British Columbia (Canada) as a postdoctoral fellow.  He was appointed as a Lecturer of Physical Chemistry in 2006 in the school of Chemistry, University of Leeds.  He later moved to the School of Earth of Environment as a Reader in Aerosol Science and was promoted to full Professor in 2016. 

Responsibilities

  • Head of the Atmospheric Ice Nucleation group
  • President of the Aerosol Society
  • President of the European Aerosol Assembly

Research interests

Prof Murray researches nucleation and crystallisation throughout the Earth's atmosphere, in collaboration with aerosol and cloud modellers. Major areas of research include:

  • Heterogeoeus ice nucleation on aerosol such as mineral dust, soot and biogenic materials
  • Measurements of the concentration of atmospheric ice nucleating particles from airborne, ship or ground based platforms
  • Global modelling of ice nucleating particle distributions
  • Aerosol-cloud interactions
  • Crystal structure and properties of ice which forms under atmospherically relevant conditions
  • Glass formation and the role of other amorphous solids in the Earth's atmosphere
  • Nucleation crystallisation from solution droplets
  • Cryopreservation (including knowledge exchange with industrial partners)
  • Efficient descriptions of ice nucleation for use in cloud models
  • Formation of crystalline acid hydrates in stratospheric clouds
<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Any research projects I'm currently working on will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://environment.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>

Qualifications

  • MChem, University of Wales
  • PhD, University of East Anglia

Professional memberships

  • Aerosol Society (UK) - President
  • British Association for Crystal Growth (BACG)
  • Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
  • European Geosciences Union (EGU)
  • American Geophysical Union (AGU)

Student education

  • Atmospheric Physics
  • Atmospheric Pollution from Local to Global Scales
  • Environmental Measurements
  • Environmental Science/Meteorology and Climate Science Tutorials
  • Frontiers in Environmental Research
  • Environmental Research Project
  • Masters research projects

Research groups and institutes

  • Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science
  • Atmospheric Chemistry and Aerosols

Current postgraduate researchers

<h4>Postgraduate research opportunities</h4> <p>We welcome enquiries from motivated and qualified applicants from all around the world who are interested in PhD study. Our <a href="https://phd.leeds.ac.uk">research opportunities</a> allow you to search for projects and scholarships.</p>