Graeme Ackland is Professor of Computer Simulation at the University of Edinburgh. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Institute of Physics, and a former Fulbright Distinguished Scholar at Princeton. He has taught undergraduate physics for over 25 years, including Thermodynamics and Quantum Mechanics and designed the Theoretical Physics degree programme in Edinburgh. An active research scientist, with over 200 papers published in international journals, his research specialities include crystal phase transitions at high pressure, and design of high-performance alloys.