Dr Alex Browne is a materials chemist with a decade of experience leading disruptive research to accelerate the change to Net Zero. He completed a PhD in Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh in 2018, then held research positions at the University of Tokyo in Japan and Princeton University in the USA before returning to Scotland for a fellowship at the University of St Andrews in 2021.
With expertise across semiconductors, high-performance alloys, energy and quantum tech, Alex was awarded the Parkin Lecture of the British Crystallographic Association in 2024, and was selected as a finalist of the STEM for Britain competition in 2023. He has written, lectured and advised on materials chemistry for leading organisations in the UK, EU, US, India and Japan. From 2021-24 he represented early-career scientists on the Royal Society of Chemistry's steering group in Scotland, and served as secretary of an Institute of Physics subject group with international membership.
Alex is also passionate about promoting the role of science in society. From engaging school pupils with STEM to building academia-industry collaborations to organising initiatives in sustainability, innovation and skills development, he advocates for inclusive, evidence-driven policymaking.
Dr Browne joined the SSAC on 1 March 2025.
