Ashley Head

Ashley Head is a Materials Scientist in the Interface Sciences/Catalysis Group at the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN), a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility at Brookhaven National Laboratory. She joined CFN in January 2018 after completing postdoctoral research appointments at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Lund University in Sweden.

• PhD in Physical Chemistry, University of Arizona (2011)
• Bachelor's of Science in Chemistry, James Madison University (2005)

Dr. Head specializes in surface science and catalysis with expertise in metal oxides, heterogeneous catalysis, and advanced spectroscopic techniques. Her research focuses on understanding atomic-scale processes at interfaces under realistic conditions. She pioneered the integration of ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS) with infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS), enabling comprehensive surface analysis under atmospheric pressures. Her work spans fundamental surface science to applied research on gas mask filtration and CO₂ hydrogenation.

Analysis of Dr. Head's publications reveals consistent focus on catalytic processes involving metal oxides, particularly copper and molybdenum oxides. A key trend is her development of multimodal characterization approaches that combine spectroscopic techniques to provide complementary insights into complex surface reactions under operating conditions. Her recent work extends to metal-organic frameworks and dimensional engineering of catalysts.

• James Madison University College of Science and Mathematics Alumna of the Year (2018)

Dr. Head actively mentors students and postdoctoral researchers through CFN's user programs, collaborating with academic institutions including Stony Brook University and University of California, Davis. Her research is supported by the Department of Energy Office of Science and has led to collaborations with the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center. She serves on the Users' Executive Committee for Berkeley's Advanced Light Source, advocating for user facility improvements.

Based in Building 735 at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Dr. Head leads research using state-of-the-art surface science instrumentation including lab-based AP-XPS systems and infrared spectrometers. She collaborates closely with CFN's Electron Microscopy and Theory & Computation groups, and with researchers at NSLS-II to conduct synchrotron-based experiments. Her laboratory is developing next-generation capabilities for studying chemistry inside porous materials and at liquid-solid interfaces.