Former Deputy Head of Engineering Department (Teaching), Fellow Emerita, Newnham College, Emeritus Faculty at Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge

Claire Barlow specialises in materials engineering, covering a wide range of materials and processes with particular interests in the inter-relationships between processing parameters, mechanical properties and material microstructures, and on sustainable and eco-efficient manufacturing. The focus is now mainly on end-of-life materials, looking at assessing the environmental impact of materials usage and working with industrial and other partners on how to improve recycling and re-use, especially of plastics. Technical aspects are only a part of this picture: effective management of waste materials encompasses human, economic and business dimensions, so all these must be understood and factored into recommendations.

Teaching and communication have always been an enthusiasm and have formed a major part of Claire’s career (she holds a Cambridge University Pilkington Prize). She enjoys the challenge of communicating complex concepts to diverse audiences and regularly gives public engagement talks.