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I took an engineering degree in Medical Electronics and Computing and then didÌýa short internship within a biomedical engineering department in a hospital. I realisedÌýthat I wanted to follow more of a research career in an academic\hospital environment so I tookÌýan MSc in Medical Engineering and Medical Physics that allowed me to start a PhD at Â鶹´«Ã½ÊÓƵÍøÕ¾ (in Medical Physics and Biomedical Optics). I completed thatÌýin 2005.ÌýAfter a couple of years as a postdoctoral researcher I wasÌýawarded a career development 5 year research fellowship from the Wellcome Trust, which has allowed me to pursueÌýmy own research questions and create and lead the MultiModal Research Group.ÌýIn 2015 I was awarded a Wellcome Trust senior fellowship providing me with resources to translate my research ideas and instrumentation developments to the hospital. This also allowed me to secure an academic position as Reader in Biomedical Engineering.

My research focus is engineering novel optical technologies and developing advanced computational methods to monitor and diagnose brain injury in newborns. A major focus is the development of inexpensive optical instruments that can measure a baby's optical brain tissue metabolic biomarker non-invasively at theÌýcotside and in real time. This helps assessÌýbrain injury in birth-asphyxiated babies from day one of life.ÌýBabiesÌýwho experience a lack of blood and oxygen supply to brain around the time of birth canÌýdevelop a condition called hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy. In developed countries such as the UK, 2-3 infants per 1000 live births suffer from this condition (in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, incidence is much higher).ÌýThe neonatal unit at the University College London Hospital treats around 30 babies with this condition every year. WeÌýhave demonstrated that byÌýusing our optical metabolic biomarkers, sicker infants can be identified early after the initial brain injury. This has highlighted howÌýbrain metabolism responds differently to available oxygen delivery following injury andÌýbrought us closer to a robust biomarker of neonatal brain injury.

I love building something in the lab that I can then takeÌýto the hospital to monitor aspects of patientÌýhealth and answer real needsÌýin the real world. And it's great to be able to support doctors in their decision making.

Biomedical engineering is now a very established career pathway providing good job security and satisfaction. it is a great career choice not only for those who are 'good with their hands' but also those who are eager to apply engineering and technology tools to fundamental questions in medicine and biology.Ìý

Recently, my team has also been very actively involved in public engagement activities to communicate and disseminate our research, and to introduce young people to medical physics and buiomedical engineering (find out more at ).
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