Karl Whittle is Chair in Nuclear Engineering at Centre for Materials and Structure at University of Liverpool. He joined after a move from the department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Sheffield. Previous to that Professor Whittle was research leader at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) in nuclear materials science. In particular, he was focused on the effects of radiation damage, how it can be ameliorated and materials designed for the next-generation nuclear reactor technologies, both fission- and fusion-based. Before that he worked in postdoctoral research positions at the universities of Sheffield, Cambridge and Bristol.
Karl received obtained his undergraduate degree at the University of Kent, a masters from the University of Aberdeen, and PhD from the Open University. After completing his PhD he undertook postdoctoral appointments at the Universities of Bristol, Cambridge and Sheffield, researching into amorphous materials, and nuclear waste options. He then moved to the Australia Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), where he led research into the effects on materials of radiation damage. In 2012 he moved back the UK as Senior Lecturer in Nuclear Materials at the University of Sheffield, and in 2015 he moved to the University of Liverpool as the Chair in Nuclear Engineering. Over the years he has developed research linkages across the world, with active collaborations across the world.