Colleen Jackson is currently a post-doctoral fellow on the FURTHER-FC project, funded by the FCH-JU, looking at better understanding proton and mass transport through catalyst layers in hydrogen fuel cells. Prior to this, Colleen worked on the MEMPHYS project, also funded by the FCH-JU, investigating electrocatalysts for hydrogen electrochemical compression.

Colleen obtained her PhD as part of a Newton Advanced Fellowship partnership between the University of Cape Town (RSA) and the University of Southampton (UK). She also holds a BSc and MSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cape Town.

Her PhD thesis explored the use of silicon carbide and boron carbide as alternative electrocatalyst support materials for platinum nanoparticles, with the aim to develop more active and durable catalysts for PEM fuel cells through the oxygen reduction reaction. The use of advanced catalyst characterisation methods based on high energy X-rays (X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) allowed for a better understanding of catalytic performance testing, theoretical modelling and fundamental kinetic studies.