Dr. Alan Kenneth Soper stands as a preeminent physical chemist and world-leading expert in the molecular structure of water and aqueous systems. He currently serves as an STFC Senior Fellow at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, part of the Science and Technology Facilities Council's Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire. Educated at The Campion School and the University of Leicester, he earned his PhD in 1977 for groundbreaking research on aqueous solutions conducted at the Institut Laue-Langevin in Grenoble under the supervision of John Enderby. Prior to joining Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in 1997, Dr. Soper held academic positions at the University of Guelph in Canada and conducted research at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the United States. His distinguished career culminated in his appointment as an ISIS neutron source senior research fellow in 2009 and his election as a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Dr. Soper's pioneering research has fundamentally transformed our understanding of water structure across diverse environments through the innovative integration of neutron and X-ray diffraction techniques with advanced computational simulations. He has characterized the molecular organization of water under extreme conditions found at ocean depths and within nanoscopic mineral cavities, making the remarkable observation that confined water can exist under immense tension approaching -1000 atmospheres. As the co-designer of the Near and InterMediate Range Order Diffractometer (NIMROD) at ISIS, he developed instrumental capabilities that have become essential for probing structurally disordered systems at the molecular level. His methodological approaches to structure refinement have provided unprecedented insights into water's behavior when interacting with various surfaces and molecules, significantly advancing fields from geochemistry to biophysics. These contributions have established him as a global authority whose work informs climate modeling, industrial processes, and fundamental understanding of aqueous systems.
Beyond his direct research contributions, Dr. Soper has profoundly shaped the international scientific community through leadership roles including chairing the prestigious Gordon Research Conference on Water and Aqueous Solutions in 2008. His expertise is regularly sought for collaborative projects addressing critical challenges such as understanding water behavior in geological formations and developing more accurate climate models. As a senior fellow at one of the world's premier neutron facilities, he continues to mentor emerging scientists and guide experimental approaches to complex structural problems. His ongoing research focuses on elucidating water's behavior in increasingly confined environments and under novel conditions that push the boundaries of current understanding. Dr. Soper's enduring legacy lies in establishing rigorous methodological frameworks that continue to drive innovation in structural chemistry and materials science worldwide.
