Discover Applied Sciences is a fully open access, broad-scope journal launched in 2018 under the former journal title SN Applied Sciences (2023 Impact Factor: 2.8). The journal is indexed in DOAJ, ESCI, Scopus and several other indexing services. The journal has Section editors for the various research disciplines covered by the journal. These are members of the academic leadership at the journal, advise the publisher on key developments in their field, and play an active role in the academic scope and in the development of the journal.

Dr. Fabien Massabuau  joined the Discover Applied Sciences Editorial Board in 2018. He has always been keen to contribute towards the Journal's growth and development. He expressed his interest to increase his engagement with the journal and move to the role of a Section editor when we announced the position.

We had a brief discussion about the role and its responsibilities, and he graciously accepted to be the Section editor of the journal’s section Chemistry/Materials Science.

Here's a short interview with our new Section Editor:

What is your current research focused on?

My main focus is on defects in wide bandgap semiconductors and on microscopy. In particular, I investigate defect properties in GaN and Ga₂O₃-based semiconductors. More recently, I’ve been broadening my interests towards the applications of these materials.

What are the most interesting emerging topics or new technologies in your field of research?

There are so many! Recent advances in microscopy are really exciting—they allow us to combine datasets with resolution in multiple directions like time, temperature, wavelength and space. We also see more mainstream use of cross-correlation between different techniques, which opens up whole new possibilities. On top of that, artificial intelligence is showing great promise, especially for acquiring and analyzing large datasets. And looking ahead, I believe an emerging topic that will become central is integrating considerations of the circular economy into our research practices.

Tell us about your role as an Editorial Board Member on Discover Applied Sciences and your vision as a Section Editor. What made you want to take up this role?

I see this journal as a great platform for cross-disciplinary research, which can be hard to place in more specialized journals. I’m also excited about the opportunity to help shape themed collections that focus on global challenges. That’s something I find very motivating.

Do you have any advice for new members of the board?

Engage! Make your voice heard.

What do you enjoy most—or look forward to the most—about your work on the journal?

I really look forward to shaping the journal, so it supports better research practices and ethics. For me, that includes things like making space for publishing negative results, or for repeating experiments. These may not sound particularly attractive, but they are absolutely essential for real innovation.

Lovely to have you onboard in this new role, Dr. Massabuau, and I am sure your contribution will help the journal reach new heights!