ISTM

After graduating with a BSc(Hons) in Physics from the University of Manchester, I moved to Loughborough University to complete a PhD on ‘spintronic’ magnetic multilayered films. Between 1998 and 2002 I worked as a post-doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Salford in the Institute for Materials, where I explored a variety of novel magnetic nanostructures. Following this I was awarded an in-house research scientist position at Daresbury Laboratory working with Prof Gerrit van der Laan in the Magnetic Spectroscopy group, applying synchrotron x-ray spectroscopy and scattering techniques to probe magnetic materials. After the closure of the Synchrotron Radiation Source at Daresbury I moved to the School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences (SEAES), at the University of Manchester in the spring of 2008, where I now hold an honorary staff position, and collaborate with microbiologists and mineralogists on projects investigating the properties and applications of biomineralised magnetic nanoparticles. In October 2009 I took up my current post as an RCUK Academic Fellow in Biomagnetics within the ISTM at Keele University.

ISTM Research theme: 1. Bioengineering & Therapeutics

My current research focuses on two main themes:

• the fabrication, functionalisation, reactivity and application of magnetic nanostructures in the biomedical sciences

• investigations of biomineralised nanoscale minerals related to neurodegenerative disorders

A significant part of my research activities involves using synchrotron x-ray techniques to explore biomineralised iron deposits in biological tissue as well as in materials obtained in-vitro. In particular I have recently performed some of the first experiments to utilise soft x-ray spectromicroscopy to obtain iron speciation maps of tissue related to Alzheimer’s disease.

Over a period of many years I have established a track record in obtaining funding for synchrotron work and now regularly perform experiments at the Advanced Light Source, Berkeley Laboratory, USA, the Canadian Light Source, and the Diamond Light Source (UK).

Some of my external collaborators on current/recent projects are listed below:

Joanna Collingwood (University of Warwick)

Gerrit van der Laan (Diamond Light Source)

Jon Lloyd, Richard Pattrick, Vicky Coker (University of Manchester)

Adam Hitchcock (McMaster University, Canada)

Joe Gallagher (Caltech, USA)

Rob Hicken (University of Exeter)

Yves Huttel (ICCM, Madrid, Spain)

Elke Arenholz (Berkeley Laboratory, USA)

I currently teach on the MSc programme on Biomedical Engineering within the ISTM. Previously I taught an undergraduate lecture course, together with tutorial sessions, at the University of Salford.