Dr. Neil Alford

Biography

Neil Alford received his BSc from St Andrews University and spent years working in South East Asia and South America in the oil exploration industry. He returned to the UK to obtain his PhD from Queen Mary College, focusing on fracture mechanics in cement mortars. Following this, he conducted post-doctoral work at Oxford University in collaboration with ICI, where he developed high-strength cement. In 1981, he joined the ICI Corporate Laboratory, engaging in projects related to macro defect-free cement and the viscous processing of ceramics, particularly perovskite ceramics and High Temperature Superconductors (HTS). His work on HTS was primarily applied to microwave devices, significantly impacting the cellular communications industry. In 1994, he moved to London South Bank University, where he focused on developing HTS magnetic resonance receive coils and novel microwave dielectrics. His research led to the creation of ultra-low loss alumina resonators and a better understanding of defect chemistry in TiO2, resulting in high-quality dielectric materials. His technology innovations have been widely applied in industry, particularly within cellular communications. Alford has served as Head of the Department of Materials, Vice Dean for Research in the Faculty of Engineering, and Associate Provost at Imperial College London. He was awarded an MBE in 2013 for his services to Engineering and elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2025.

Research Interests