MsBanusha Kugabalan

I am a PhD student on the Janet Watson scholarship in the Department of Earth Science and Engineering, under the supervision of Prof. Adrian Muxworthy, Prof. Gareth Collins and Prof. Tom Mitchell from UCL . My research focuses on Palaeo-stress signals in rock magnetism from small geological structures such as columnar joints to tectonic and impact crater regions. I study stress and shock effects on the magnetism of rocks through static and dynamic experiments to measure their magnetic response.

Since starting my PhD, I have been committed to outreach and making science accessible to a variety of audiences across all platforms. I have attended numerous UK-based and international conferences in my field, where my talks have received awards and recognition. Over the past three years, I have been actively involved in organising the Pint of Science Festival and am currently the Chair of the Pint of Science Society at Imperial. Making current scientific research accessible to people of all backgrounds is a cause I am passionate about. I have also been invited multiple times as a guest on 'The Core of Everything' podcast, where I discuss my research and share my expertise in physics. I have given talks on further education in STEM at schools as I am dedicated to inspiring and encouraging secondary school students from underserved or minority backgrounds.