Professor Elliot Gilbert devised, initiated and leads ANSTO’s research activities in the application of scattering to investigate fundamental and industrial problems of national significance in food materials science. With an international network of collaborators covering academia, industry and national research organisations, the group has investigated examples from all classes of macronutrients underpinned by materials science methods with the aim to understand, control and predict functionality in food ingredients and whole food systems.

Elliot authored the first review detailing the application of neutron scattering to food and initiated the biennial international ‘Neutrons and Food’ conference series. Elliot’s interests lie in both soft and hard condensed matter and, beyond food materials, has investigated a diverse array of systems from phase separation in paraffin blends to skyrmions. He is a member of the IUCr Commission on Small-Angle Scattering, chaired the international conference on small-angle scattering in Sydney (2012) and served on the International Advisory Committees for the conferences in 2009, 2015 and 2018. He received the 2021 ANBUG Neutron Award for outstanding research in neutron science and leadership promoting the Australian neutron scattering community. He is an Honorary Professor at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, and the Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, at the University of Queensland.