I’ve been curious how many working researchers we’ve got in this community, and what you all do!
If you’re working in science (physical or social), engineering, etc in a research capacity, give a shout in the comments and let us know what you work on! Same goes for students and amateur scientists at any level. (And by amateur I mean those of you who are working on your own experiments but just not being paid for it / not working on a degree; I’m upset that “amateur” has a negative connotation, it shouldn’t.)
I’m currently a PhD candidate, working on transmission electron microscopy and electronic materials (mainly ferroelectrics). In the past I’ve been involved in research / product development in a few different industries, including medical devices, aerogels, and materials for RF devices.
I have my PhD in physics with a background in material science and primarily work in Pharma developing early stage biologics programs (antibodies, gene therapies, etc). That means basically any of the molecules I have worked on are maybe 5+ years away from reaching the market. I don’t meet many other physicists in this field, instead it is primarily chemical engineers and biochemists. Even working in industry, I still have the chance to publish and attend conferences though.