FacilityImaging & Characterisation Hub

Dr Matt Polson is a Compliance and Instrumentation Technician in Te Kura Matū | School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, providing specialist technical expertise across advanced analytical instrumentation, laboratory compliance, and research support. He plays a key role in ensuring the safe, reliable, and publishable operation of scientific equipment and laboratory environments, supporting both teaching and research activities. Matt studied in Otago before completing a series of post-doc fellowships developing skills and knowledge across a wide range of specialities.

Matt’s expertise spans X‑ray and photophysical measurement technologies, with a particular focus on the instrumentation and workflows of UC’s X‑ray Suite and photophysical instrumentation. His work underpins high‑quality structural analysis, instrument maintenance, and data‑ready sample preparation, enabling researchers to generate accurate and reproducible crystallographic and materials‑characterisation results. From materials science to synthesis to characterisation, he co-supervises research students, contributes to post-graduate and undergraduate teaching, and offers specialist information for the safe use of hazardous substances.

His specialist expertise lies in applying X-ray diffraction, X-ray spectroscopies and electronic absorption and emission techniques to diverse chemical and materials focused projects.

Dr Mark Staiger is a materials scientist and engineer with a research career spanning more than 20 years. He obtained both his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from the Department of Materials Engineering at Monash University, Clayton, Melbourne, Australia, and subsequently established an interdisciplinary research programme at the University of Canterbury spanning both metallic and non-metallic materials, including polymers, composites and bio-derived materials.

Dr Staiger's research is motivated by a strong interest in addressing societal challenges through materials-based technologies, with particular emphasis on improving public health and protecting the natural environment. Globally important issues—including the rising cost of healthcare, the need for improved biomedical technologies, resource sustainability and the growing environmental burden associated with waste materials—provide a strong motivation for his research.

Over his career, Dr Staiger has developed a diverse portfolio of research encompassing metallurgical science, biomaterials, polymers, composites and sustainable materials. His work includes the development and characterisation of biodegradable metallic biomaterials, particularly magnesium-based materials for biomedical applications, as well as research into bio-based and biodegradable non-metallic materials.

His current and recent research encompasses biocomposites, natural-fibre materials, proteinaceous materials, bioaerogels, cellulose-based materials, biodegradable polymers, recycled polymers and nanofibrous materials. This work explores how materials derived from biological and renewable resources can be engineered to provide useful mechanical, functional and biological properties, while offering pathways towards more sustainable materials manufacture and end-of-life management.

A complementary strand of his research is directed towards advanced materials for healthcare, including biodegradable metallic biomaterials for biomedical devices and materials for bone repair and tissue engineering. His research in this area seeks to address some of the limitations of conventional permanent implants by developing materials whose properties and degradation behaviour can be tailored to the requirements of the biological environment.

Dr Staiger has also established expertise in the processing and characterisation of advanced polymeric, composite and bio-derived materials, with research spanning the molecular, microstructural and macroscopic levels. His work employs a broad range of materials-characterisation techniques to understand the relationships between composition, processing, structure and engineering performance.

A defining feature of Dr Staiger's research is therefore its interdisciplinary nature. His work brings together materials science, mechanical engineering, polymer science, metallurgy, biotechnology and sustainability, with the common objective of translating fundamental materials knowledge into technologies capable of addressing real-world challenges.

Through his research, teaching and postgraduate supervision at the University of Canterbury, Dr Staiger contributes to the development of the next generation of materials engineers while advancing research into materials that can support better health outcomes and a more sustainable environment.