Hi, I’m Adam. I’m a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Copenhagen. My research uses X-ray total scattering and pair distribution function analysis to understand complex atomic structure.
Originally from Oxfordshire, I began my MChem degree at the University of Oxford in 2014. In 2016, I carried out a summer project with Prof. Andrew Goodwin investigating negative thermal expansion in flexible cyanide frameworks. I then stayed in the group for my Master’s degree project, co-supervised by Dr Hamish Yeung, where I studied the formation and compositional heterogeneity of metal–organic frameworks. During my time at Balliol College, I was awarded the Andrew Pang Scholarship for three consecutive years.
In 2018, I began my PhD at the University of Cambridge in the Hybrid Materials Group within the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, where I was funded by the EPSRC and Johnson Matthey. My thesis focused on extreme disorder in metal–organic frameworks.
In 2023, I was awarded the Malvern PANalytical PhD Thesis Prize in Physical Crystallography by the British Crystallographic Association.
In 2023, I moved to Denmark as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Copenhagen working with Associate Prof. Kirsten Jensen. Here, I am working on developing ultra-fast pair distribution function methods using X-ray free electron lasers.
In 2026, I was awarded the Physical Crystallography Prize by the British Crystallographic Association for contributions to the field of amorphous metal–organic frameworks and the development of advanced total scattering methods.
Adam Sapnik 