Christopher Gourlay

Christopher Gourlay is a Professor of Physical Metallurgy at Imperial College London's Department of Materials, part of the Faculty of Engineering. He has been affiliated with the Engineering Alloys research theme since 2008, specializing in microstructure development during phase transformations in alloys and solders. His research focuses on lightweight magnesium and aluminum alloys, electronic solder joint reliability, and solidification processes.

He holds a MEng in Metallurgy from the University of Oxford (2002) and a PhD from the University of Queensland (2007), where his work centered on semi-solid deformation of Al and Mg alloys. He was awarded a RAEng/EPSRC Research Fellowship in 2008.

Research interests include solidification microstructure control, intermetallic compound effects in solders, and alloy recyclability. Key projects involve thermal fatigue resistance of solder joints, grain refinement in magnesium alloys, and in-situ imaging of microstructural dynamics.

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials (FIMMM) and the Institute of Cast Metals Engineers (FICME), and currently chairs the Electronic Packaging and Interconnection Materials Committee at TMS (USA, 2023–2027).

His group employs advanced characterization techniques like synchrotron radiography and FIB-based nanoscale engineering, addressing challenges in electronic materials and sustainable manufacturing processes.