Professor Rachel Oliver is Director of the Cambridge Centre for Gallium Nitride. She leads research projects across the full range of the Centre’s activities, and her personal passion is understanding how the small scale structure of nitride materials effects the performance and properties of devices. She uses expertise in microscopy and materials growth to lead the development of new nanoscale nitride structures which will provide new functionality to the devices of the future. She is also passionate about communicating science to the general public and hence widening participation in science by under-represented groups, particularly women.