Experimental Physics
Institute of
Experimental Physics
Experimental Physics
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Post-doctoral Fellowship awarded to Dr Dimitra Spathara for the PureCuAlloys project.
10 February 2026
Photo: D. Spathara
Dr Dimitra Spathara, a materials scientist with expertise in computational thermodynamics and advanced alloy design, was awarded a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Post-doctoral Fellowship to undertake the PureCuAlloys project within the AG Nikolopoulos.
The PureCuAlloys project aims to advance the search for dark matter and rare particle processes by developing stronger, ultra-pure copper alloys for next-generation detectors. While electroformed copper is highly radiopure, its low strength limits its practical use. PureCuAlloys will address this challenge by designing innovative CuCr and CuCrTi alloys that maintain radiopurity while improving mechanical performance. Beyond fundamental physics, the developed materials design approach could benefit a wide range of industrial applications where precise control of material properties is critical. The project has a duration of 30 months, and includes a non-academic placement with Thermo-Calc Software AB (Sweden) a leading expert in developing software and databases used to predict and understand materials properties.
Dr Spathara, who will join AG Nikolopoulos following a UKRI Fellowship with the University of Birmingham, has a background spanning academia and industry, including collaboration with Rolls-Royce plc and work on multi-scale materials modelling.
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships are coveted research grants funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme. They support outstanding postdoctoral researchers from around the world to advance their careers through international mobility, interdisciplinary training, and collaboration. The fellowships fund innovative research projects across all scientific fields, while also promoting skills development, knowledge transfer, and long-term career progression. They are highly competitive, with this year success rate being 9.6% following the submission of a record 16,836 eligible applications, in the most competitive evaluation round to-date, and are widely recognised as a mark of research excellence in Europe and beyond.
