Gianluigi Botton

Chief Executive Officer at Diamond Light Source

Gianluigi Botton is the Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Light Source, the UK's national synchrotron facility located in Oxfordshire.1 2 He took up this position in October 2023, joining Diamond from the Canadian Light Source where he had served as Science Director since May 2019.1 4

Professor Botton is a renowned expert in microscopy and spectroscopy with an impressive scientific background:

He has secured over $50 million as a principal investigator and $90 million as a co-investigator in research funding.1 2
He has authored more than 350 peer-reviewed publications.1 2
His work has been cited over 34,000 times.1 2 3

Some notable achievements and recognitions in his career include:

Awarded the Microbeam Analysis Society's Presidential Award in 20201 2 3
Received the Metal Physics Award of the Canadian Materials Science Conference in 20171 2 3
Elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 20181 2 3
Named a Fellow of the Microscopy Society of America in 20141 2 3

Prior to his role at the Canadian Light Source, Botton established and led the Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy (CCEM) from 2008 to 2019.1 2 He is also a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at McMaster University, where he holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Electron Microscopy of Nanoscale Materials.2 4

Professor Botton's expertise lies in using advanced microscopy and spectroscopy techniques to examine materials at the atomic scale, with applications in developing energy-efficient materials for batteries, fuel cells, and lighting.1 4 His appointment comes at a crucial time for Diamond Light Source as it moves forward with the Diamond-II upgrade project, which aims to enhance the facility's capabilities and address major scientific challenges.4 5