#FaradayPathway Beth Murdock, Redoxion

Dr Beth Murdock has built a career driven by a clear purpose: using battery science to create sustainable, real-world solutions. From academic energy-storage research to techno-economic analysis of material supply chains and now leading LMFP development at Redoxion, her journey shows how curiosity, values-led decisions and diverse technical training can shape a meaningful career path in the battery sector.

Early years and first steps into batteries

From a young age, Beth knew she loved learning.

“I knew spending a long time at university was something I was going to do, and chemistry was the science that I was most drawn to.”

Beth did an Integrated Masters in Chemistry at Lancaster University where her master’s project was on solid polymer battery electrolytes.

“I was fortunate enough to stay in the same research group to do my PhD, which is where my fascination with batteries started.”

When asked who shaped her career the most, she doesn’t hesitate:

“It has to be my supervisor, Professor Nuria Tapia-Ruiz. She’s incredibly supportive and she produces science that you can trust. She’s very much shaped the way that I approach research.”

A PhD with a purpose

Beth’s PhD investigated cathode degradation within the broader socio-environmental context of energy materials – a theme that continues to underpin her work today. Her PhD was affiliated to the Faraday Institution’s FutureCat project and she remarks how she benefited from being part of the Faraday Institution community.

“The Faraday community empowers you to collaborate and exposes you to expertise you wouldn’t otherwise access, especially early in your career.”

Additionally, as part of the Material Social Futures CDT, Beth attended weekly seminars ranging from futures thinking to political ecology and ecological modernisation, equipping her with a socio-economic perspective of the research process.

“Still now, I tackle research with this widened lens. Ideally, I’d like to make the world a better place. So it’s not just about performance, it’s about everything that comes with our research.

“One of the reasons I chose battery research is because I genuinely wanted to help solve environmental issues. Batteries can do that – if we do it right. But if we choose the wrong materials and the wrong processes, it could have the opposite effect. Bringing a wide perspective to your research shows you the importance of making the right decisions for the future.”

Seeing the bigger picture

Beth with her Exawatt colleagues.

The perspective gained from the CDT left her with tools to ask questions, and Beth wanted answers to them. Curious about the economics behind sustainable materials, Beth took the initiative to reach out after hearing Simon Price of Exawatt talk at a Faraday Masterclass. She secured an internship at the company focused on battery supply chains and technoeconomic analysis.

“I wanted to work out the true cost of the materials I was researching. Through this internship, I learned so much about the industry and market analysis.”

This cemented her interest in tangible research and strategic decision-making for sustainability.

Closing the loop

After finishing her PhD, Beth followed her PhD supervisor to Imperial College London as a postdoctoral researcher as part of a Faraday Institution Industrial Fellowship (Imperial College London with Deregellera), developing circular processes for hard carbon anodes for sodium ion batteries.

“I wanted to use the time I had in academia to learn as much as possible – I researched polymer electrolytes in my Master’s, lithium-ion cathodes in my PhD, and hard carbon anodes in my postdoc.”

Working within an industry fellowship environment accelerated her transition to industry.

“I had one specific problem that I was trying to fix and quite a limited amount of time. It really honed a specific way of working.”

Moving into industry with Redoxion

By the end of her postdoc, Beth knew she wanted her next step to combine technical challenge with real-world impact, somewhere she could influence the right decisions at scale. Redoxion felt like the ideal fit: a start-up focused on developing sustainable, scalable and low-cost lithium-ion cathode materials. It also represented a natural progression of her expertise.

“My PhD focused on lithium-ion cathodes, and my postdoc was on carbon-based materials. Most LMFP needs a carbon coating to make it work, so this role brings all those threads together.”

Beth first connected with Redoxion through the battery community at a Volta Foundation Battery Pub. While discussing her research interests and motivations, a fellow attendee suggested she speak with Dr Jerry Barker, CEO and founder of Redoxion. That conversation ultimately led to her recruitment, highlighting the power of community and networking.

Beth now leads R&D on LMFP (lithium iron manganese phosphate) cathodes at Redoxion, aiming to balance the performance, sustainability and scalability of LMFP. Her day-to-day role reflects the nature of working in a start-up environment.

“It’s fast-paced, collaborative and exciting. We see fascinating results every week, which is incredibly motivating, and we celebrate progress as a team. It’s been very different from academia in that sense, where research can feel quite isolated.”

However, research in industry also takes time, and it isn’t always a smooth ride. She reflects that her very first sample “was really bad,” but seeing how far the material has come in just a year has been deeply rewarding.

A commitment to sustainable design remains a guiding principle for both Beth and Redoxion.

“Our baseline processes are fundamentally low-cost and sustainable. If we find something exciting that falls outside those boundaries, we don’t discard it, we engineer our way back to work out how to make it sustainable.”

Presenting at the Faraday Institution Conference

Beth presenting at Faraday Conference 2025.

In 2025, Beth returned to the Faraday Institution Conference, this time not as a PhD researcher in the audience, but on stage delivering a selected talk on building a resilient LMFP supply chain and scalable synthesis for a sustainable future.

“It was very different to be on the stage rather than just watching. The setup was very grand. I gave my talk in the main lecture theatre, which was quite a big moment.”

Presenting as an industry scientist brought additional value:

“For Redoxion, we got lots of connections after the talk. We were approached by several attendees who were interested in what we’re doing. From a business perspective, it was very beneficial.”

Having attended multiple Faraday Institution conferences, Beth has seen the UK battery community evolve:

“Over time, I’ve noticed a real shift. The science is still important, but there has been more focus on sustainability and industrialisation. This year really echoed the notion that it’s great to have brilliant ideas, but if we can’t turn them into something useful, the impact is limited.”

Advice and aspirations

Beth’s message for future scientists and engineers is simple: don’t wait for the “perfect” next step but learn by doing.

“People worry a lot about choosing the perfect internship or the ideal next role. But sometimes the way you find out what you do want, is by trying things and realising what you don’t. Take opportunities, get experience, learn about yourself. We’re all just trying to find our way.”

For Beth, growth has come from curiosity, openness, and a willingness to explore. She recognises the opportunity and responsibility that comes with working in the battery sector:

“The battery ecosystem is relatively new, which means we can influence where it goes. That’s exciting, but it comes with responsibility. The decisions we make now will shape the future.”

Connect with Beth on LinkedIn.

#FaradayPathway written by Petra Gudelj and published November 2025.

#FaradayPathways Beth Murdock, Redoxion