Christopher D. Woodgate

Christopher D. Woodgate

he/him

Theoretical Physicist & Computational Materials Scientist

CV

Education

  • PhD, Modelling of Heterogeneous Systems, University of Warwick, UK (2019-2023)
  • PGDip, Modelling of Heterogeneous Systems, University of Warwick, UK (2019-2021)
    • Taught component of the training offered in the first 18 months of the HetSys CDT.
    • Including modules covering scientific software development, predictive modelling, uncertainty quantification, and machine learning. Additional courses on fluid dynamics, solid mechanics, density functional theory, and molecular dynamics.
  • BSc MMathPhys (Hons), Mathematics and Physics, University of Warwick, UK (2015-2019)
    • Integrated masters degree in Mathematics and Physics (joint honours).
    • Broad selection of optional modules taken from across both the Mathematics Institute and Department of Physics, with a particular focus on condensed matter physics and scientific computing.
    • Final Year Project: “Antiferromagnetic Modulations in Dipolar Ferromagnets”, supervised by Dr Nicholas d’Ambrumenil (Department of Physics, University of Warwick).

Experience

  • October 2024 - Present: EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellow, School of Physics, University of Bristol, UK
    • Awarded a two-year independent research fellowship in the School of Physics at the University of Bristol following a competitive application process. Based in the School’s Theoretical Physics Research Theme and mentored by Prof. Nigel Wilding. My project proposes to investigate aspects of the physics of multicomponent transition metal alloys, with a particular focus on their electronic structure and magnetism. Working with a range of experimental and computational collaborators, both at Bristol and externally.
  • October 2024 - Present: CoSeC Fellow, Scientific Computing Department, UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
    • Career development fellowship awarded by the Computational Science Centre for Research Communities (CoSeC), which is administered by the Scientific Computing Department (SCD) of the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). The Centre’s aim is to supports the advancement of scientific research by developing and strengthening software to analyse and solve increasingly complex problems across multiple disciplines. This fellowship includes funding, software support, and a range of networking and collaborative opportunities.
  • October 2023 - September 2024: Research Fellow, University of Warwick, UK
    • Based in the group of Prof. Julie B. Staunton and co-supervised by Prof. Laura H. Lewis (Northeastern University).
    • Employed on a joint UK-US research project funded by the EPSRC (UK) and the NSF and DOE (US). The project is focussed on the design, synthesis, and manufacture of novel rare-earth-lean and rare-earth-free permanent magnets. Appointed first as a Research Assistant, then later promoted to Research Fellow following successful defence of PhD thesis.
    • I used DFT calculations, a linear-response theory, and atomistic modelling to understand the phase behaviour of these complex, magnetic alloy systems. There was close collaboration with theoretical colleagues at the University of Oxford (UK) and with experimental colleagues at Northeastern University and the University of Delaware (US).
  • October 2019 - September 2023: PhD Student, University of Warwick, UK
    • Supervisor: Prof. Julie B. Staunton (University of Warwick).
    • Project Title: “Physics of magnets and the arrangements of atoms comprising them”
    • In this project, a first principles computational modelling technique for studying atomic arrangements in multicomponent alloys was developed. Integrated within the same framework, we were able to go on to examine the effects of these atomic arrangements on a material’s magnetic properties. The approach was used to study next-generation, novel materials for a range of applications. Systems studied included Galfenol (an Fe-Ga alloy used in sensor and actuator applications), and two families of high-entropy alloys which are of interest for engineering applications including in fusion reactors. The project then moved on to study the Fe-Ni system and potential additives, working with the experimental group of Prof. Laura H. Lewis at Northeastern University (Boston, USA) with the aim of searching for candidate materials to be used as rare-earth-free permanent magnets.
  • October 2018 - July 2019: Final-Year Project Student, Department of Physics, University of Warwick, UK
    • Supervisor: Dr Nicholas d’Ambrumenil (University of Warwick)
    • Project title: “Antiferromagnetic Modulations in Dipolar Ferromagnets”
    • This project studied the high-field, low temperature, ferromagnetic phase of Gadolinium Gallium Garnet, a geometrically frustrated antiferromagnet. A number of aspects of the system were studied, and a measure of the modulation of the ferromagnetic state as a function of external field was delivered. The work was a combination of analytics and numerics, initially in Mathematica but also later in C for efficiency.
  • Summer 2017: Summer Research Intern, Department of Physics, University of Warwick, UK
    • Supervisor: Dr Michal Kreps (University of Warwick, CERN).
    • Project Title: “Feasibility of Measurement of $\Xi_b$ Polarisation at the LHCb Experiment”.
    • Funded by the Undergraduate Research Support Scheme (URSS) run by the University of Warwick.
    • This project was part of a feasibility study for the measurement of the “production polarisation” of a particular particle decay chain. The angular distribution for the particle decay chain was derived - working largely in Mathematica. Some existing C++ code was adapted to run simulations and determine the accuracy with which physical parameters could be measured.

Prizes, Awards, and Funding

  • Early Career Researcher Travel Grant. WE-Heraeus Workshop on ab initio methodologies for complex magnetism and magneto-superconductivity, Budapest, Hungary.
    • August 2025.
    • €500.
  • Best Paper Award – 2024 Journal of Applied Physics Early Career Investigator Selection. Journal of Applied Physics, AIP Publishing, USA.
    • July 2025.
  • IoP Early Career Researchers Fund. Institute of Physics, UK.
    • Travel grant awarded to cover (partial) costs for attendance at the 2025 American Physical Society (APS) Global Physics Summit (March Meeting).
    • March 2025.
    • £300
  • EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowship. School of Physics, University of Bristol, UK.
    • 2-year independent research fellowship funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
    • October 2024 - September 2026.
    • 2-years salary + £10,000 travel/consumables budget.
  • CoSeC Fellowship, Scientific Computing Department, Science and Technology Facilities Council.
    • Career development fellowship.
    • October 2024 - December 2025.
    • £3,000 discretionary budget + software support.
  • Winton Thesis Prize in Physics. Department of Physics, University of Warwick, UK.
    • Prize awarded annually by the Department of Physics at the University of Warwick for an outstanding PhD thesis examined in the previous calendar year.
    • May 2024.
    • £1000.
  • PhD studentship. EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Modelling of Heterogeneous Systems (HetSys), University of Warwick, UK.
    • Project title: “Physics of magnets and the arrangements of atoms comprising them” - EPSRC Grant number: 2229181
    • October 2019 - September 2023.
    • 4-year funded studentship covering tuition fees, living costs (via stipend) and including a travel and consumables budget.
  • Warwick Undergraduate Research Summer Scheme (URSS) bursary. University of Warwick, UK.
    • “Feasibility of Measurement of $\Xi_b$ Polarisation at the LHCb Experiment”.
    • July 2017 - August 2017.
    • £1600.

Publications

For information on my publications, please see the publications page of this site.

Conference Presentations

For information on my conference presentations, please see the talks page of this site.

Teaching

For information on my teaching experience, please see the teaching page of this site.

Technical Skills

  • Programming languages
    • Fortran, C, C++, Python, Unix shell scripting, LaTeX.
  • Parallel Programming
    • Proficient with both shared and distributed memory parallelism: OpenMP, MPI. Experience with CUDA for GPU acceleration.
  • Applications
    • Ovito, VESTA, Mathematica, Vi/Vim, Microsoft Office, GNU Make, git (including use of GitHub), and assorted Linux/Unix utilities.
  • Codes

Professional Memberships

  • Member, Institute of Physics (UK)
  • Member, American Physical Society (USA)

Collegiality and Academic Citizenship

Seminar and Conference Organisation

  • July 2025. Session Chair & Alumni Panel speaker, HetSys CDT annual conference.
  • January 2025. Session Chair, 16th Joint MMM/Intermag, New Orleans, USA.
  • July 2024. Poster judge at the International Conference on Magnetism (ICM 2024, Bologna).
  • October 2023 - July 2024. Joint organiser for the Warwick Physics Theory seminar.
  • July 2023. Chair for two sessions at the HetSys CDT annual conference.

Committee Roles

  • July 2025 - Present. Early-Career Member of the UK Institute of Physics (IoP) Theory of Condensed Matter (TCM) Group committee. The TCM group is one of the IoP’s special interest groups, which bring together members and fellows of the IoP with shared research interests.
  • October 2017 - July 2019. Secretary of the Student-Staff Liason Committee for the Department of Physics at the University of Warwick. Included attendance at termly departmental Education Committee meetings.
  • October 2015 - July 2017. Member of the Student-Staff Liason Committee for the Department of Physics at the University of Warwick.

Peer Review

I have reviewed articles for a range of international physics and materials science journals, including:

  • Physical Review Letters
  • Physical Review B
  • Physical Review Materials
  • Nature Communications
  • npj Computational Materials
  • Acta Materialia
  • Scripta Materialia
  • The Journal of Applied Physics

Where the journal facilitates it, evidence of this review activity is typically (anonymously) recorded on my ORCID profile.

Hobbies and Interests

For information on my hobbies and interests, please see the hobbies page of this site.