James Walsh

James Walsh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he leads the Walsh Lab and is affiliated with the Materials Science and Engineering Interdisciplinary Graduate Program. He serves on the Editorial Board of Communications Chemistry and conducts cutting-edge research in high-pressure materials science.

• Postdoctoral Fellow, Northwestern University (2015–2019)
• Ph.D., University of Manchester (2014)
• MChem, University of Manchester (2010)

Dr. Walsh's research explores how extreme pressure awakens new forms of chemical reactivity, targeting the synthesis of exotic new materials with properties including superhardness, ultrahigh density, high chemical and heat resistance, superconductivity, and permanent magnetism. His group integrates chemical synthesis with dynamic compression techniques to target kinetically-stabilized non-equilibrium phases. Students in the Walsh Lab become experts in high-pressure techniques, solid-state synthesis, and X-ray crystallography.

Analysis of Dr. Walsh's recent publications reveals a strong focus on high-pressure synthesis of novel materials, particularly carbides and magnetic compounds. His work combines experimental approaches with computational methods like first-principles calculations and machine learning. Key themes include pressure-induced phase transitions, crystal structure prediction under extreme conditions, and the exploration of magnetic properties in geometrically frustrated systems. The research spans fundamental science to potential technological applications in materials design.

• NSF CAREER grant (2022)
• American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund grant (2023)
• Directed Energy Professional Society $10,000 research grant (2023)
• Editorial Board Member, Communications Chemistry

Dr. Walsh has successfully mentored numerous graduate and undergraduate students, with several recent PhD graduates securing postdoctoral positions at prestigious institutions and industry roles. His research group actively utilizes major facilities including the Advanced Photon Source, National Synchrotron Light Source II, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The Walsh Lab maintains a Rigaku Synergy-S single crystal diffractometer for in-house crystallography work and collaborates extensively with researchers across multiple institutions.

The Walsh Lab operates from the Physical Sciences Building at UMass Amherst, with experimental work frequently conducted at synchrotron facilities nationwide. The group has established strong collaborations with national laboratories including Lawrence Livermore and SLAC, as well as academic institutions across the country. Current research directions include shockwave experiments, high-pressure synthesis of transition metal compounds, and computational exploration of pressure effects on chemical disorder.