Brian Connolly

Brian Connolly is an Associate Professor in Materials Engineering, specializing in Corrosion Performance. He holds an honorary position as Senior Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham's School of Physics and Astronomy (2016–2021). His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to clean energy and industrial innovation.

Research Interests:

• Corrosion mechanisms and mitigation in extreme environments (e.g., nuclear, aerospace)
• Nanomaterials for energy storage systems (e.g., MnOx nanowires)
• Stress corrosion cracking in stainless steels and other alloys
• Crystal plasticity modeling and material degradation analysis

Key Projects:

• Materials Performance Centre (MPC): Addresses corrosion challenges in nuclear and high-pressure systems.
• Nuclear Technologies Network (NNUF): Focuses on molten salt reactor materials and fuel cycle innovations.

Awards:

• Recipient of the H.H. Uhlig Award from NACE-International (2016) for corrosion research excellence.

Advising and Grants:

• Mentor to over 40 postgraduate researchers in corrosion science and materials engineering.
• Principal Investigator (PI) on multiple grants, including projects on stress corrosion cracking and molten salt systems.

Labs and Teams:

• Leads the Materials Performance Centre, collaborating with industry and academia on corrosion-resistant materials.
• Contributes to the Dalton Nuclear Institute and Energy Research Beacons at the University of Birmingham.