Welcome to the official website of Dr Diane Johnson.
I am a senior technical officer working at the University of Cranfield in the School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing, I specialize in the application of Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscopy (FIBSEM). My primary role is in supporting, training and offering technical advice to staff, students and visitors on the use of FIBSEM, scanning electron microscopy and other allied analytical techniques. I have special interests in the analysis of non-terrestrial samples, fossils, archaeological materials and more specifically iron in ancient Egypt.
I have broader interests within physical sciences, my interest in space science started when I developed my own meteorite collection as a child. As I grew so did my interest in science, I studied astrophysics as an undergraduate, then as a postgraduate developed more practical skills studying analytical and surface science. I also believe strongly in lifelong learning and I have recently studied for a Certificate and Diploma of Higher Education in Egyptology with the University of Manchester. It is partially through my interests in Egyptology that I have also developed special research interests in cultural aspects of meteorites.
I created the iron from the sky project which explores the presence of, the perception of iron in ancient Egypt and the potential influence of meteorites within this subject, which so far has been enabled through a science in culture innovation award from AHRC with me as lead researcher and the Egypt Exploration Society awarded further funding with me as project director.
I project managed the Royal Microscopical Society funded Virtual Microscope Through Time project, which is an interactive range of virtual objects from the oldest physical objects known through to modern technology being applied to enhance our understanding of the universe, displayed as whole objects with interactive microscope options allowing closer inspection.
My Professional Memberships:
Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society (FRMS), 2009
Member of the Meteoritical Society, 1999
Fellow of the Geological Society (FGS), 1999