Personal statement

I am a Lecturer and Chancellor's Fellow in Electronic and Electrical Engineering, and a recent recipient of a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship which is allowing me to study acoustically powered soft robotics.  My work is heavily based in 3D printed structures, integrating piezoactive and conductive layers in a single build to create smart sensors and actuators.  Soft robotics created with integrated 3D printed structures opens up an overwhelming new design space which I hope to expore over the next five years.

I've completed all my studies at Strathclyde University, studying Electrical and Mechanical Enginnering at undergraduate (2008-2012) then completing my PhD in bio-inspired sound localization in 2016.  Much of my PhD and early career research was focused on insect hearing and communication, with the goal of creating a miniaturized directional microphone for sound localization and signal processing.  In 2016 I started a post doctoral position in the Centre for Ultrasonic Engineering, again working on bio-inspired acoustic sensors and exploring the possibilities that were allowed by 3D printing the sensors, which lead to the design of a novel cochlear implant currently in development by Hemideina.  In 2019 I was awarded the Leverhulme fellowship and in 2020 I was promoted to Lecturer as a Chancellor's fellow.

I have an eclectic range of research interests, which reflects the interdisciplinary nature of my research history.  I'm particularly interested in directional transduction, bio-inspired design and 3D printed sensors and actuators.