Â鶹´«Ã½ÊÓƵÍøÕ¾

My name is Gemma Bale and I am a Research Associate in the Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory. I have been at Â鶹´«Ã½ÊÓƵÍøÕ¾ for seven years. I took an undergraduate degree in Physics at Imperial College London, and joined a doctoral training programme in Electrical and Electronic Engineering called Photonic Systems Development, because I was interested in optics. I then became really interested in using light for medical applications so I took a PhD in Biomedical Optics within the Â鶹´«Ã½ÊÓƵÍøÕ¾ Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering. And I'm still here today!

My work focuses on developing new optical neuromonitoring devices for the measurement of brain oxygenation and metabolism, to help diagnose and treat brain injury in newborn babies.ÌýI am normally doing one of two things. Running experiments, or analysing the results from them. I design optical medical devices, and test them in the lab and then, ultimately, in the hospital. The first device I built is now being used in the neonatal intensive care unit at Â鶹´«Ã½ÊÓƵÍøÕ¾H, and IÌýthink my proudest moment was seeing that device being used in the hospital for the first time. It was nerve-wracking, but so exciting when it worked.

I have also been developing a public engagement platform () to share our research via national and regional scienceÌýexposÌýsuch as The Big Bang Fair and the British Science Festival. In 2015 I was awarded the Â鶹´«Ã½ÊÓƵÍøÕ¾ Provost's Engineering Engager of the Year Award for my work in communicating science to the public.Ìý

The year I was awarded a British Science Association Media Fellowship, which provides an opportunity for scientists to workÌýat the heart of a major media outlet, andÌýspent two weeks onÌýthe Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2, contributing to debates and stories on climate change, heatwaves, and artificial intelligence.Ìý



Ìý