SAXS excites & XRD excites 2026

Eva M. Herzig
University of Bayreuth, Germany

Professor Eva M. Herzig has been Professor of Experimental Physics – Dynamics and Structure Formation at the University of Bayreuth since 2017. She studied physics at the University of Edinburgh, where she also earned her PhD in soft condensed matter. After positions in industry and as a group leader at the Technical University of Munich, she established her own research group in nanostructural characterization, organic photovoltaics, and functional thin films. 

Her research focuses on the processing and nanostructure control of thin films, with a particular focus on X-ray scattering techniques to understand structure–function relationships in organic semiconductors and energy materials. In 2024, she was appointed Adjunct Associate Professor at Monash University, Australia, strengthening international collaborations in sustainable energy research. 

Professor Herzig has received several awards for research and teaching, including the Bayreuth University Award for Digitally Supported Teaching in 2022, and has authored numerous publications in leading journals in materials science and energy research.

Brian R. Pauw
Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), Germany

Over the last 20 years working across institutes in Denmark, Japan, and Germany, Dr. Brian R. Pauw has continued to address methodological challenges in small-angle scattering as a “full-stack” X-ray scatterer. Collaborating with members of the community and other scientists, Brian’s work spans a broad range, including instrument design and adaptation; automated syntheses and simulations; measurement planning and automation strategies; comprehensive data corrections and analysis pipelines; and data organization and stewardship. 

Happiest when solving challenges alongside friendly colleagues in a well-equipped laboratory, his work has appeared in over 50 publications, numerous presentations and lectures (some of which can be found on YouTube), and blog posts on his long-running SAXS weblog.

Uri Raviv
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

Professor Uri Raviv joined the Institute of Chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2006, after completing his postdoctoral research at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and earning his PhD at the Weizmann Institute of Science (2003). His lab develops pioneering X-ray scattering-based technology to resolve the structures and interactions of macromolecular assemblies in realistic solution conditions. 

By applying state-of-the-art data analysis with simulations, theory, and various algorithms (e.g., maximum entropy optimization), the lab resolves the structures, intermolecular interactions, and assembly mechanisms of complex, weakly ordered, and dynamic self-assembling biological structures. It currently focuses on virus self-assembly, the assembly of cytoskeletal filamentous proteins and their associated proteins, and lipid membranes.

Bryan R. Wheaton
Corning Corporation

Dr. Bryan Wheaton is currently a principal scientist within the Characterization Sciences Directorate at Corning Incorporated in Painted Post, New York. He holds a BS in ceramic engineering and a PhD in glass science, both from Alfred University. He has worked at Corning for his entire 42-year professional career, holding various technical and functional roles in the characterization field. 

Bryan served as the technical leader and supervisor of the X-ray diffraction laboratory for more than 25 years, where he was responsible for materials understanding through the development of characterization methods. He supported projects across both the science and technology, and business units. He was also the functional manager of a diverse group of 30 scientists and technicians in the fields of microscopy, surface science, and structure analysis techniques. 

Bryan’s main technical focus has been the study of phase assemblage and microstructure in ceramic and glass-ceramic materials through the use of X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron diffraction, and electron backscattered diffraction analysis.

Simon Billinge
Columbia University

Professor Simon Billinge has over 25 years of experience studying local structure in materials using X-ray, neutron, and electron diffraction. He has pioneered novel data analysis methods using graph-theoretic, artificial intelligence, and machine learning approaches. Simon earned his PhD in materials science and engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992. Since 2008, he has been Professor of Materials Science and Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics at Columbia University. 

The author of more than 350 papers, he is a fellow of the American Physical Society and the Neutron Scattering Society of America, a former Fulbright and Sloan fellow, and recipient of multiple awards, including the 2025 Gregori Aminoff Prize and the MRS Materials Characterization Award. In 2011, he was honored for contributions to the nation as an immigrant by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. He currently serves as Section Editor of Acta Crystallographica Section A: Advances and Foundations and regularly reviews major facilities and federally funded programs.

Noritaka Saito
Kyushu University

Professor Noritaka Saito, based at Kyushu University, is passionate about understanding high-temperature materials and developing innovative processes for the steel and ceramics industries. After earning his PhD in Engineering from Kyushu University, he joined the faculty in 2005 and spent time as a visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2008. His research explores molten oxides, multiphase flow behavior, and advanced joining techniques for ultra-high-temperature ceramics. 

The author of over 130 journal papers and 500 conference presentations, as well as the holder of several patents, he actively bridges science and industry. Recognized with awards such as the Nishiyama Memorial Award and TMS Young Leader Award, he is currently focused on sustainable steelmaking, hydrogen-based processes, and AI-driven solutions for greener manufacturing.

Svetlana Mintova
LCS-CNRS, France

Dr. Svetlana Mintova is Director of Research of Exceptional Class at CNRS, Normandy University, and Head of the Centre for Zeolites and Nanoporous Materials. Her research focuses on porous materials, with expertise in zeolites. She has received numerous prestigious distinctions, including the Baron Axel Cronstedt Award (FEZA), Donald Breck Award (IZA), Flanigen Award (Honeywell UOP), and was named Knight of the National Order of Merit by the French president in 2025. She also carried the Olympic flame for Paris in 2024. 

A former president of both IZA and FEZA, she currently serves as Associate Editor of Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers (RSC) and Editor of Microporous and Mesoporous Materials and Chemical Engineering Journal: Green and Sustainable (Elsevier).