Career Statement and Role at ANSTO
Bernt is a beamline scientist with over 20 years' experience, combining technical innovation with strategic leadership in X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS). Based at the Australian Synchrotron, ANSTO, he serves as Beamline Responsible for the XAS Beamline, where he has led advances in in operando capability for energy storage and catalysis research. His work has delivered:
- A robust in operando program supporting high-impact battery and catalysis studies.
- Implementation of fast-scanning techniques, tripling sample-to-data turnaround and enabling up to 100-fold faster acquisition for dynamic measurements.
- Recognition through invitations to present at leading national and international conferences.
Bernt completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Auckland (NZ) and his PhD at the Australian National University (Canberra), including an internship at the Advanced Photon Source (Chicago, USA). Prior to joining ANSTO, he worked at the Photon Factory in Japan.
His academic interests center on catalysis and energy storage, where XAS is an indispensable analytical tool. He is an Honorary Professorial Fellow at the Faculty of Engineering and Information Services, University of Wollongong, and an Investigator on the GETCO2 ARC Centre of Excellence. He remains active in research through grant proposals, PhD student supervision, and conference participation.
Recent Professional Affiliations & Service
Session Chair and Committee Member, International Conference on Advanced Materials & Nanotechnology, New Zealand (2025)
Committee Member, Australian Battery Society (2024- )
Member, International Working Group on Beam Damage in XAS (2024- )
Organising Committee, International Conference on Materials for Green Future (2024)
Chair, New User Symposium, Australian Synchrotron (2023)
Chair, AINSE Winter School, Australian Synchrotron (2023)
Regular academic reviewer and guest editor for Nature journals (ongoing)
Co-supervisor of five current PhD students
Recent Research Funding
Deciphering nanoconfined ion intercalation with higher energy, power, and stability Singapore Ministry of Education (MoE) Project, T2EP10224-0006, 2025-28, named Collaborator with A/Prof Shuzhou Li at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. | $972K |
Interfacial design for durable solid-state lithium batteries ARC Discovery Project, DP250102252, 2025-28, Partner Investigator with Prof Zaiping Guo at Adelaide University (now at City University in Hong Kong). | $727K |
From sunlight and CO2 to liquid methanol: a novel non-thermal plasma technology for CO2 hydrogenation to liquid methanol at ambient temperature and pressure CSIRO Postdoctoral FellowshipProject, 2024-27, $360K, Partner Investigator with Dr Yunxia Yang at CSIRO. | $360K |
Green electrochemical transformation of carbon dioxide (GETCO2) ARC Centre of Excellence, CE230100017, 2023-30, Associate Investigator with Director Prof Xiwang Zhang at the University of Queensland. | $45M |
Enabling high-performance layered oxide sodium-ion battery cathodes ARC Discovery Project, DP230100198, 2023-25, Partner Investigator with A/Prof Wei Kong Pang at the University of Wollongong. | $398K |
Additional competitive synchrotron beamtime (past 3 years): 13 days as Chief Investigator. | $459K |
Selected Conference & Workshop Contributions
2025 – Keynote: ICNASA, Melbourne | Keynote & Session Chair: AMN-11, New Zealand | Presentations: MacDiarmid ESA Workshop (NZ, online), New User Symposium (online), AINSE Winter School (online), ANSTO User Meeting
2024 – Invited: AM&ST, Hobart | Keynote: Green Materials, Thailand (Organising Committee) | Presentations & Facility Updates: Asia-Oceania Forum for Synchrotron Radiation Research, Univ. of Tasmania, Univ. of Queensland, National Univ. of Singapore, ANSTO User Meeting | Student Lectures: Univ. of Wollongong
2023– Keynote: International Symposium on Green Transformation of CO₂, Brisbane | Invited: International Workshop on Improving Data Quality and Quantity in XAFS Spectroscopy, Melbourne | Chair & Presenter: New User Symposium & AINSE Winter School | Facility Update: ANSTO User Meeting, Univ. of Newcastle
Publications
Co-author of ~ 200 journal articles (60 in past three years), including as corresponding author, in collaboration with national and international research teams.
Expertise
X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy, Energy Storage, Catalysis
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3027-0816
Scopus Reference ID: 9740242800