Ashlyn Chew

I am a masters student studying Natural Sciences (specialising in Materials Science) at the University of Cambridge interested in the intersection between scientific research, communication, and policy. During my degree, I have most enjoyed communicating science: in literature reviews, laboratory reports, policy papers, essays, and presentations and am looking for internship opportunities in science communication and patent law.

My masters research surrounds understanding and quantifying microstructure-property relationships of novel, 3D-printed bio-metamaterials for personalisable tissue scaffold implants, and hope to apply this technical foundation to an internship at the SMC.

Earth.Org: Contributing Writer (March 2026 - present)

• Researching and writing on environmental topics for a viewership of 1 million unique visitors/month.

Teaching assistant (February 2026 - present)

• Providing academic and pastoral (including SEND) support to Key Stage 3 and GCSE science, mathematics, english, and music lessons.

Keltie: Patent law intern (January 2026)

• Drafted mock claims and prosecution (including assessment of novelty).

Veranova: Solid-State Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Assistant (July - September 2025)

• Developed crystallisation processes for a range of polyethylene glycol linkers, conducting solubility assessments and cocrystal screenings in the Solid Form and Particle Engineering group at Veranova (formerly Johnson Matthey Health).
• Optimised preparation of amorphous itraconazole for analytical method validation of XRPD following ICH guidelines.
• Complied with SOPs for handling of active pharmaceutical ingredients.
• Research skills: XRPD, HPLC, NMR, TGA, DSC, LAG, freeze-drying

DoITPoMS, Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy: Web Developer (July - August 2024)

• Developed simulations and animations on X-ray diffraction techniques for the Dissemination of IT for the Promotion of Materials Science project (available here), with figure published by Elsevier (Fundamentals of Microstructural Characterization of Materials) at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
• Research skills: JavaScript, CSS, HTML

Leadership roles:

Natural Sciences Tripos Management Committee Representative (2024 - 2025)

Staff-Student Consultative Committee, Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy (2023 - 2024)

Fitzwilliam College Undergraduate Committee (2023 - 2024)

University of Cambridge: Materials Science MSci (2025 - 2026)

• Research project: 3D Printing of Polymer Structures with Advanced Properties
  • Tuning printing parameters in PCTG, PCL, PETG, PLLA, nylon 6,6, and PP to optimise microstructure (crystallinity, chain alignment, crystal structure) for controlled degradation behaviour in FFF biodegradable cardiac stents with Professor Serena Best and Professor Ruth Cameron. Characterisation with DSC, XRD, and induced birefringence.

University of Cambridge: Natural Sciences BA (Hons) – High 2.i (2022 - 2025)

• Third year: Materials Science
  • First-class literature review on Keratin-Based Scaffolds for Wound Healing: assessment of keratin-based ECM scaffolds, which offer excellent biocompatibility and intrinsic mechanical strength due to high disulfide crosslink density. Keratinous waste is also widely available from poultry farming, salon, and textile industries, which otherwise end up in landfill or incinerated.
  • First-class (81%) report on Effects of Na Additions and Cooling Rate on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Eutectic Al-Si Alloys: comparison of dendrite scale, homogeneity, and porosity using ImageJ, hardness, and toughness testing. 
  • Characterised polymeric and magnetic components with FTIR, TGA, density, and Vickers hardness testing. 
  • Designed composition and heat treatment, and used XRD, SEM, and EDX to characterise a ferrous dual phase alloy to meet strength and ductility requirements.
• Second year: Materials Science, Quantitative Environmental Science, History and Philosophy of Science
  • First-class (95%) characterisation report. First-class CAD, life-cycle assessment, and image analysis projects. 
  • Built climate models in Python to simulate the effect of enhanced rock weathering for atmospheric CO2 removal, accounting for thermohaline circulation, chemical equilibria between dissolved inorganic species, and calcification of marine organisms. 
  • Analysed atmospheric data on NO2, PM10, and PM2.5 concentration in Cambridgeshire for a policy POSTnote. 
  • First-class report on How Did Imperialism Contribute to New Scientific Understandings of the World (and Vice Versa) in the Nineteenth Century ?
• First year: Materials Science, Physics, Earth Sciences, Mathematics
  • First-class (94%) in Scientific Computing (Python).
  • First-class Physics report on Measurement of Quality Factor, Resonant Frequency, and Amplitude for a Variably Driven and Damped Torsional Pendulum.

A-Levels – A* (Physics), A* (Mathematics), A* (Chemistry), A* (Further Mathematics), A (EPQ) (2022)