Gwénaëlle Proust is a Professor of Materials Engineering in the School of Civil Engineering and the Academic Director of the Sydney Manufacturing Hub at the University of Sydney. Her research aims at understanding the relationships between material properties and their microstructure and to improve material performance, ultimately leading to energy savings and to safer, more efficient devices. Her research projects encompass investigating and modelling manufacturing processes and the effects of mechanical deformation on the microstructure evolution of metals, understanding the effects of complex loading on the mechanical response of materials and developing better performing materials. The experimental aspect of her work is carried out using characterisation techniques such as optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction. She has experience with different additive manufacturing technologies to fabricate polymeric and metallic components.