Brandon MacDonald

I enrolled at the University of Melbourne in 2008 to pursue a PhD in Chemistry after completing my undergraduate chemistry degree at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, in Canada.

My work focused on developing inks containing semiconducting nanocrystals called ‘quantum dots' to produce printable solar cells. This work was done in collaboration with CSIRO and gave me an opportunity to interact with and learn from brilliant, creative people from both organizations. My work also gave me the opportunity to speak about the benefits of renewable energy to a broad range of audiences, including interviews with The Age and ABC Radio.

Following my PhD I moved to the US in 2011, working as a Senior Scientist at QD Vision, an MIT start-up company that uses quantum dots to improve the colour capability of TVs and monitors. I was able to directly apply the knowledge gained from my time at Melbourne University to work as part of the team that produced the world's first commercially successful quantum dot display component, featured in a range of Sony televisions.

In 2014 I obtained a position at E-Ink Corporation, another former MIT start-up and the world's leading e-paper manufacturer. At E-Ink I currently work on developing new materials and processes to help grow the company's business beyond e-readers to include a whole variety of new applications. On a daily basis I get to interact with a wide range of chemists, physicists and engineers so there is always something new and exciting to learn.

Although I now live halfway across the world, I frequently keep in touch with many of my former PhD colleagues and will always cherish the time I spent at Melbourne University.