Miaofang Chi

Chi was born in China. She first interacted with a microscope whilst in primary school, and became fascinated by the idea of using science to understand a world visible to the naked eye.[1][2] She received her master degree at the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics (Chinese Academy of Sciences), where she earned a degree in materials science and engineering.[1][3] Chi completed her doctoral research in materials science at the University of California, Davis. She worked in the National Center for Electron Microscopy at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.[4] She was appointed a Research Fellow at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in 2006.[4] Her research was supported by the Lawrence Graduate Research Fellowship. During her graduate studies, she started to work on aberration-corrected electron microscopy to investigate perovskites for photovoltaics.[4] Whilst at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Chi also used electron microscopy to study the comet 8P/Tuttle. She was one of the first to make use of electron microscopy for planetary science.[4]

In 2008, Chi joined the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), where she develops microscopy techniques.[5] She has explored differential phase contrast imaging, aberration-corrected electron microscopy and in situ microscopic techniques.[2] Her early research considered full cells and catalytic activities. She worked alongside Nancy Dudney to better understand ion mass transport. She is particularly interested in molecular packing at interfaces and surfaces at an atomic scale, and how these influence energy devices.[4] Chi is looking to expand the resolution of her electron microscopy beyond atomic nuclei, and ultimately be able to image electrons in electride materials.[1]

Chi serves on the Editorial Board of Materials Today.[6]

• ORNL Director’s Award for Outstanding Individual Accomplishment in Science and Technology[7]
• Early Career Research Award[8]
• Microscopy Society of America Burton Medal[9][10]
• ORNL Most Publications Award in Division[11]
• Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers[1]
• Microanalysis Society Kurt Heinrich Award[12]

• Chen Chen; Yijin Kang; Ziyang Huo; et al. (27 February 2014). "Highly crystalline multimetallic nanoframes with three-dimensional electrocatalytic surfaces". Science. 343 (6177): 1339–1343. doi:10.1126/SCIENCE.1249061. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 24578531. Wikidata Q45996619.
• Xun Shi; Jiong Yang; James R. Salvador; et al. (25 May 2011). "Multiple-Filled Skutterudites: High Thermoelectric Figure of Merit through Separately Optimizing Electrical and Thermal Transports". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 133 (20): 7837–7846. doi:10.1021/JA111199Y. ISSN 0002-7863. PMID 21524125. Wikidata Q57965951.
• Don Brownlee; Peter Tsou; Jérôme Aléon; et al. (1 December 2006). "Comet 81P/Wild 2 under a microscope". Science. 314 (5806): 1711–1716. doi:10.1126/SCIENCE.1135840. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 17170289. Wikidata Q33266658.