Affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

Professor Birkett joined the Mechanical Engineering Department at Northumbria University in 2011. Before this, he worked in the manufacturing industry for sixteen years, primarily working on developing new thin film materials and processes. Professor Birkett currently leads the Engineering Materials and Mechanics Group (EM2G), and he mainly teaches the Mechanical Engineering degree programs in materials and manufacturing technology and systems. His research focuses on developing new thin film materials and coatings for mechanical, electrical, and biomedical applications. It has been funded by the European Commission, The Leverhulme Trust, EPSRC, The British Academy, The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, and several industrial collaborators. Professor Birkett is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (FIMechE), a Chartered Engineer (CEng), and a member of the EPSRC, UKRI FLF/Talent and Leverhulme Trust Peer Review Colleges.