In this episode of InspectTech, Michelle Wright welcomes Dr. Peter Martin, Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow at the University of Bristol. They discuss Dr. Martin’s experience in nuclear energy and in analyzing materials with a variety of technologies— including X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzers—at projects in Chernobyl, Ukraine, the US, and Japan.

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After completing his undergraduate degree in geology at the University of Bristol, Dr. Peter Martin undertook a PhD in Physics. His doctoral research included a project examining the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident of March 2011, one of the worst ever nuclear accidents. During this multidimensional work, Peter used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV's) equipped with novel radiation detection systems to explore the meter-scale contamination trends as well as cutting-edge materials science methodologies to examine the microscopic fallout material that was released into the surrounding environment.
Following a stint working in the nuclear industry and after having gained expertise in radiation detection systems and materials science, Peter obtained a highly prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) Research Fellowship in 2020. In this research, he works alongside other international experts in the field to develop novel sensory platforms for deployment across multiple applications. Dr Martin has established himself as an international expert in nuclear materials, radiation detection, reactor accident scenarios, and radiological release incidents arising from nuclear facilities. He is frequently invited to give talks on his areas of expertise around the world, and he has worked extensively with global media outlets to give expert commentary on topical issues across the nuclear sphere.