Huan Zhao awarded with Masing Memorial Prize
Materials scientist of the Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung honoured by German Materials Society
The German Materials Society awarded Dr. Huan Zhao, postdoctoral researcher at the Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung (MPIE), with the Masing Memorial Prize. The prize recognizes her independent research work in the field of materials science and engineering. Zhao is specialized on exploring the structure-property relation in aluminium alloys. Her work advances the mechanistic understanding of environmental degradation and provides insights to mitigate hydrogen embrittlement, thus improving the lifetime and sustainability of high-strength lightweight engineering components
“I’m so thrilled to receive this prestigious award. It confirms me in my research and career path”, says Zhao who works in the group Mechanism-based Alloy Design at the MPIE. Zhao analyses how alloying and production processes influence the microstructure of alloys and their properties. She focuses on high-strength aluminium alloys using high-resolution characterization techniques such as atom probe tomography and electron microscopy. Her research highlights the interplay between lattice defects and the nano-chemistry at these defects.
Zhao received her master degree in Materials Science and Engineering in 2015 at the Chongqing University in China. She joined the Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung for her doctoral study in September 2015. After completing her doctorate in 2019, she continued her research as postdoctoral researcher at the MPIE. Zhao received the Acta Student Award 2018. She has been honoured with the TMS Light Metals Subject Award – Aluminum Alloys 2019 and the Early Career Researcher Award at the 17th International Conference on Aluminum Alloys 2020.
The Masing Memorial Prize is named after the long-time chairman and honorary chairman of the German Materials Society, Georg Masing. The prize committee evaluates the research work published in the last two years preceding the award. The prize is awarded once a year for the best achievement in materials science by early career scientists and only awarded if prize-worthy candidates are recognized.
Author: Yasmin Ahmed Salem
