Dr Richard Walshaw

Profile

Richard is a nationally recognised microanalyst with over 20 years experience in electron microscopy and the management of TRAC facilities.

As the School of Earth, Environment and Sustainability’s Electron Optics Facility Manager - forming part of the Leeds Electron Microscopy and Spectroscopy Centre (LEMAS) - he provides specialist advice, training and support to researchers across a range of disciplines from the University of Leeds, the wider UK and overseas. His areas of specialism are physical and chemical characterisation of minerals and materials using EPMA-WDS SEM-EDS and EBSD with particular focus on the analysis of beam sensitive specimens and trace element analysis, for applications such as geothermometry and geobarometry.

Richard is a regular course tutor on NERC-funded Advanced Training Short Courses in EPMA/QXRMA. In partnership with colleagues at Bristol, Oxford, Cambridge and Manchester he has helped deliver training to approx. 150 early career researchers via 6 successfully funded courses since 2014 - with all reviewed as good or excellent.

He is a tutor on the annual Royal Microscopical Society’s Spring School in Electron Microscopy delivering practical demonstrations on EDS and was an invited speaker at the European Microbeam Analysis Society’s regional workshop on Microbeam Analysis in the Earth Sciences in 2018

Richard is a founding member of the JEOL UK EPMA user group – set up in 2012 to support and advocate for the RTP community, to share expertise and develop best practice.

The LEMAS team offer access, advice, training and support across a range of EM techniques including EELS, TEM, 4D-STEM, WDS, SEM, EDS, EBSD, CL, FIB, CRYO-FIB.

Follow the links below for further information and contact details.

https://environment.leeds.ac.uk/see/dir-record/facilities-environment/769/electron-microscopy-facility

https://www.leeds.ac.uk/experimental-facilities/dir-record/profiles/23786/leeds-electron-microscopy-and-spectroscopy-facility

Responsibilities

• SEES Electron Microscopy Facility Manager
• Specialist Training & Support

Research interests

Application of SEM and EPMA techniques to mineral analysis.

Ore mineralogy.

Materials characterisation.

Qualifications

• PhD, Isotope Geochemistry of Irish Carbonate-Hosted Base Metal Deposts, University College Dublin
• MSc, Geochemistry, University of Leeds
• BSc, Applied Geology, University of Leicester

Professional memberships

• European Microbeam Analysis Society
• JEOL UK EPMA User Group (Founder Member)
• Leeds Ores and Mineralisation Group (OMG)
• EM UK (Facility Manager's Group)

Research groups and institutes

• Ores and Mineralization
• Institute of Geophysics and Tectonics
• Institute of Applied Geoscience