Fiona Spirrett

Dr. Fiona Spirrett is an Assistant Professor at The University of Osaka’s Joining and Welding Research Institute (JWRI). Her role includes both research and teaching in the Department of Environmental and Energy Engineering, where she leads research projects and supervises student projects focused on developing sustainable societies.

Within the Lithographic Additive Manufacturing Group, Fiona’s research focuses on stereolithography of ceramic materials, exploring how the desirable properties of ceramics can be integrated into functional, geometrically complex structures for enhanced performance or reduced environmental burden. Her work bridges computational modelling, material science, and additive manufacturing, with a focus on developing sustainable ceramic-based components for next-generation manufacturing systems. Since joining the JWRI, Fiona has been awarded with three competitive research grants from the Okura Kazuchika Memorial Foundation, Mazda Foundation, and JFE 21st Century Foundation to support her work. Her current projects work towards developing highly efficient ceramic heat exchangers for various applications and Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia electrodes for aluminium smelting through geometry design and optimisation, development of high-volume dispersion ceramic pastes, and component fabrication by stereolithography, utilising various computational analysis methods to support each stage of investigations.

In addition to her research, Fiona plays an active role in teaching and mentoring, guiding students in projects that integrate engineering design with environmental responsibility. She also collaborates with industry partners across Japan to support industry-academia co-operation towards sustainable manufacturing.
Originally from the United Kingdom, Fiona earned her Master’s degree in Medicinal and Biological Chemistry from the University of Nottingham, where she focused on computational modelling. She continued her studies at Nottingham, joining the Centre for Additive Manufacturing in 2016 to pursue a PhD in Additive Manufacturing and 3D printing. Her doctoral research explored laser based additive manufacturing of bespoke glass compositions, forming a solid foundation for facing the challenges of processing high performance ceramics and glasses by additive manufacturing techniques.
Beyond her research, Fiona is a keen photographer and traveller with a goal of visiting all 47 prefectures in Japan to experience the diverse landscapes, traditions, and cultures.