Benjamin graduated from the University of Salford in 2017 with a First-Class Degree in Physics and a Master’s Degree which focused on computational methods in quantum chemistry problems.

Benjamin has recently joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training and is completing a PhD at The University of Manchester which focuses on the application of atomistic modelling techniques to high strength aluminium alloys to improve understanding of macroscopic behaviour from an atomic level. Benjamin simulates nanoscale elements of an alloy’s microstructure, producing calculations of chemical and mechanical properties which can often be impractical to measure by experimental means. He is currently using density functional theory to understand how dissolved hydrogen may degrade structural aluminium, particularly the 7xxx series of alloys, making it brittle and unserviceable.