Clara Barker is a thin-film material scientist who manages the Centre for Applied Superconductivity, in the materials department at Oxford University and an Adjunct Fellow of Linacre College. Prior to this she worked at Empa in Switzerland as a post-doctoral researcher for a number of years making thin films using HiPIMS, a type of magnetron sputtering technique that was the focus of her PhD thesis. Currently she uses magnetron sputtering and pulsed laser deposition techniques to make thin-film, high temperature superconductors. Her lab also carries out significant research into thin film solid-state battery materials.
Clara Barker is the chair of the LGBT+ advisory group to Oxford University and in 2018 she won the first diversity role model award from the Universities VC. She is a Stonewall school role model, and presented a talk at a TEDx London Women event in 2018. She is involved in many projects aimed at improving equity in STEMM subjects by supporting people of diverse backgrounds, such as being a member of the group TIGER in STEMM. She runs a youth group for LGBTI+ young people and gives many talks in schools and within the University on LGBTI+ inclusion. For her volunteer work she won a Points of Light Award from the UK Prime Minister in 2017.
