Brian Tam

Experience

• 

  The University of British Columbia

  May 2015 - Aug 2015

  Undergraduate Research Assistant in the Mehrkhodavandi Research Group

  Recipient of an NSERC Undergraduate Student Research AwardMulti-step organic synthesis and metal-ligand complex chemistry

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  Geering Up UBC Engineering & Science for Kids

  Sept 2015 - Dec 2015

  Engineering and Science Instructor

  Weekly engineering and science demonstrations and hands-on workshops at local elementary schools

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  TRIUMF

  Jan 2016 - Apr 2016

  Nuclear Medicine Chemistry Research Assistant

  • Optimization of the phase-transfer catalysts, solvents, and reaction conditions of a radio-flourination reaction to give stereochemically pure amino-acid radio-tracer in high radiochemical yield• Elucidation of the enantiomers of the double chiral centred amino acid using 2D-NMR

• 

  Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids

  May 2016 - Dec 2016

  Thin Film Semiconductor and Vacuum Physics Research Assistant

  • Deposition of europium monoxide thin films using molecular beam epitaxy in ultra-high vacuum chambers to study image-charge screening effects on the ferromagnetic Curie temperature • Characterization of surface morphology by RHEED, LEED, XRD, and AFM and chemistry by XPS and MPMS-SQUID

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  The University of British Columbia

  Jan 2017 - Apr 2017

  Physics Laboratory Teaching Assistant

  Demonstrated for a class of 50 first-year undergraduate engineers in weekly physics laboratory experiments

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  Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique - Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications

  May 2017 - Aug 2017

  Electrocatalysis Research Assistant

  • Testing the activity of electrodeposited, preferentially-ordered platinum electrocatalysts towards glycerol oxidation to value-added chemicals• Improvement of the catalysis for glycerol oxidation by Ru-adatom decoration of the electrodes

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  The University of British Columbia

  Sept 2017 - Apr 2018

  • Research in preparation for a final-year honours thesis• Fabricated and tested solution-processed electrochromic windows Teaching for two classes of 50 first-year undergraduates in their weekly physics tutorials

  • Undergraduate Research Student in the Berlinguette Group

    Sept 2017 - Apr 2018

  • Physics Tutorial Teaching Assistant

    Sept 2017 - Dec 2017
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  Imperial College London

  Oct 2018 - Jan 2023

  Physics and Chemistry Postgraduate Researcher

  My PhD research aims to improve photoelectrochemical water splitting using experimental and computational methods. In the laboratory, I use chemical vapor deposition to fabricate nano-structured, earth abundant metal oxide thin film photoelectrodes and catalysts. Using MATLAB simulations, I model photoelectrochemical devices. I finally analyze the wider implications that net-energy balance and scaling-up of these technologies have on society.

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  POST, UK Parliament

  Jan 2023 - Apr 2023

  Research Fellow, Energy Division

  As a Research Fellow at the Parliamentary Office for Science & Technology, I wrote a POSTnote research briefing on the options for market reform in the Great Britain wholesale electricity market that help attain the goals of decarbonisation by 2035, affordability, and security of supply. I interviewed dozens of diverse stakeholders and published my findings in May 2023.https://post.parliament.uk/research-briefings/post-pn-0694/

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  Imperial College London

  May 2023 - now

  As an Academic Visitor, I continue to publish research papers based on my PhD research. Comparing the net-energy balance of standalone photovoltaic-coupled electrolysis and photoelectrochemical hydrogen production - was published in January 2024https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/ee/d3ee02814c

  • Postdoctoral Research Associate in Plasmonic Photocatalysis

    Jan 2024 - now

  • Academic Visitor

    May 2023 - Dec 2023