Dr David Collins

David is an Official Fellow, elected in 2024. He is one of our Directors of Studies in Physical Natural Sciences, and one of our Admissions Tutors in Science. At the University, he is the Mike Ashby Associate Professor in Materials Science at the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy.

Biography

David studied for an MEng in Aerospace Materials at Imperial College London, graduating in 2008. He then moved to the University of Cambridge (for the first time!) to complete his PhD, also in the Department of Materials, working on jet engine materials called ‘superalloys’, using a wide range of experimental and modelling methods to understand material behaviour at the nanometre length scale. After completing his PhD in 2012, he joined the Department of Materials at the University of Oxford on a collaborative project with BMW, to understand new ways to manufacture automotive alloys. During his time in Oxford, he was also a Lecturer at St Anne’s College, acting as a tutor for Material Science. In 2017, he was awarded a Birmingham Fellowship at the University of Birmingham, then being promoted to Associate Professor in 2020. He returned to Cambridge in 2023, and became part of the Emmanuel Fellowship in 2024. During his academic career, he has had his work contributions recognised by the Institute of Materials (IOM3): he was awarded the Silver Medal (2020) and elected as a Fellow (FIMMM) in 2022. He also holds a PGCHE (Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education) and was awarded the title of FHEA (Fellow of the Higher Education Academy) in 2019.

Teaching

David teaches all aspects of Materials Science in the Natural Sciences and Engineering undergraduate courses. His specialism relates to the mechanical properties of materials, and he delivers lectures related to this on the first and second year Natural Sciences course, as well as others in the Materials Department. 

Research

At the Material Science Department, David leads the ‘Multiscale Behaviour of Engineering Alloys’ research group, and helps to manage the Rolls-Royce Materials University Technology Centre (UTC). His group explores microstructure-property relationships at a range of length scales both in established and new engineering alloys. Through the discovery of the underlying science that governs alloy behaviour, David's work aims to transform structural performance of materials through advances in our understanding of metallic material behaviour. He is interested in ferrous and non-ferrous alloys used for various structural applications, spanning aerospace, automotive, defence, nuclear energy and healthcare sectors.