Rate My Professor Martin Saunders

Associate Professor Martin Saunders heads the Electron Microscopy Group at the Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis (CMCA) at the University of Western Australia. With a PhD in Physics from the University of Bath awarded in 1994 and a BSc in Applied Physics from the same university in 1990, Saunders specializes in the development and application of advanced electron microscopy techniques. His expertise encompasses transmission electron microscopy (TEM), including high-resolution TEM, scanning TEM (STEM), convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED), electron tomography, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS). These methods enable structural and chemical characterization at nano- and atomic scales, applied to nanomaterials, biominerals, and interdisciplinary problems in physical, biological, and geosciences.

Saunders joined UWA in 2001 as a Lecturer at the Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, advancing to Senior Lecturer (2007-2009), Deputy Director of CMCA (2003-2013 and 2017-2019), Facility Director of the WA node of Microscopy Australia (2019-2023), and currently leads the Physical Science Electron Microscopy Platform. Previously, he served as Assistant Professor at Uppsala University, Sweden (1998-2001), National Research Council Research Associate at the US Naval Postgraduate School (1996-1998), and Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the University of Bristol (1993-1996). He has secured over $25 million in funding for research and infrastructure. Notable awards include the Inaugural Fellowship of the Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Society (AMMS) in 2025, Life Membership of AMMS for more than 20 years of service, and Fellowship of the UK Institute of Physics in 2012. Saunders was President of AMMS from 2012 to 2018 and served as Newsletter Editor for ten years. Key publications feature "Hierarchical woven fibrillar structures in developing single gyroids in butterflies" (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2025), "Potential of High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound in Enamel Remineralization" (Journal of Dental Research, 2025), "Effects of Point Defects on the Monoclinic Angle of the B19″ Phase in NiTi-Based Shape Memory Alloys" (Shape Memory and Superelasticity, 2024), and "Waveguide-based ferromagnetic resonance for hydrogen detection in Pd/PdO@Fe2O3 magnetic nano-networks" (International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2026). He coordinates teaching in materials characterization and provides training to postgraduate researchers.