Haydn Wadley’s research group brings this fundamental materials perspective to the design and development of new high performance materials. His group focuses upon fundamental aspects of materials synthesis and processing, and the unraveling of linkages between the process created thermal, chemical and mechanical environment, the materials evolving 3D structure and its eventual performance. This approach to materials design and manufacturing therefore combines structure property relationships (to identify the optimal 3D material states needed for particular applications) with process modeling, non-invasive in-situ sensing and model predictive control to make materials whose internal microstructure states are optimized. It has resulted in the development of numerous methods for making composites, cellular materials (3D composites where the second material is air or perhaps a different cellular material), thermal and environmental barrier coatings, and thin film multilayers that exhibit giant magneto resistance. The group has developed several novel cellular materials including a new class of cellular composites with record high specific strengths. It has also explored their application as novel multifunctional materials to enable load supporting structures to perform other functionalities such as impact protection, power storage, shape morphing and thermal management. The group’s research in thermal and environmental barrier coating systems has led to improvements in the vapor phase and thermal spray processes used for the deposition of these multilayered systems, and has identified new materials amdmicrostructures that extend their maximum operating temperature and degree of thermal and environmental protection.