Erik Watkins

Erik Watkins has 15 years of experience applying mesoscale x-ray and neutron scattering techniques to study materials. After getting a bachelor’s degree in physics from Hampshire College, he studied bio-membranes and polymer thin films as a researcher at LANL’s neutron scattering center. This led him to pursue a PhD at UC Davis studying lipid-toxin interactions and afterwards to France where, as an instrument scientist at the Institut Laue-Langevin, he pursued research interests in biophysics and soft matter. In 2014 he returned to LANL as a staff member where his research currently focuses on static high pressure x-ray scattering from materials using diamond anvil cells (DACs), dynamic x-ray scattering studies of carbon in detonating high explosives and in shock compressed materials, neutron and x-ray surface scattering from thin films, and cold neutron imaging. Erik has previous experience serving on the LANSCE User Group (LUG) executive committee and the NCNR User Group (NUG) and chairing a sub-committee of the ORNL neutron science scientific review committee. As a member of the CHESS Users’ Executive Committee, Erik will bring both his research experience in a wide range of scattering and imaging techniques at large facilities and his experience communicating with scientific management to benefit the CHESS user community.