Research

Our current research activities focus on:

Composition-structure-property relations in perovskite-type ferroelectrics and in related minerals
Composition, temperature and pressure dependence of phonons in amphiboles and tourmalines
Radiation-induced structural damage in metamict minerals
Biominerals and biocompatible materials for bone implants
Elastic properties of mineral inclusions in ultrahigh-pressure rocks
Applications of geochemistry, geochronology and petrology designed to understand and quantify the rates and timescales of geological processes affecting the evolution of the Earth's crust and mantle. Interests include high-temperature processes in varied geological environments, the rates and geochemical consequences of mass transport in the evolving crust, the timing and duration of mountain building and metamorphism in collisional environments
Application of various isotope systems (U-Pb, Sm-Nd, Rb-Sr, Lu-Hf, Re-Os) in studies of crustal and mantle evolution. This research includes both field and laboratory based analysis
Characterization of minerals, gemstones and meteorites