School of Optometry and Vision Sciences

Research Interests

As Head of School I oversee the management leadership and strategic development of the school.  Excellence in Teaching, Research and Engagement are our fundamental goals.  I am delighted that the National Student Survey (NSS) score for overall satisfaction in teaching has been consistently the best in the UK for Optometry and in the top three of Cardiff University for the last three years.  Our RAE score shows that over 55% of our research is world leading or of international status.  The Postgraduate teaching centre for Optometry (WOPEC) is unique and the University Clinic provides eye care to over 8000 patients.  We were awarded the Athena SWAN silver award for gender equality in 2010.  In 2011/12 we will be providing the option of our first ever eye care training in Welsh (for students fluent in Welsh). 

I have a number of scientific and administrative roles at both the national and international level.

These currently include:-

• Pro Vice Chancellor of the University Estate.
• Member of the REF 2014 Panel for subjects Allied to Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy.
• Member of the governing body of the University of Newport.
• Member of the steering panel for RAMIRI (Realising and Managing International Research Infrastructures) - training for top level large project research directors and administrators.
• Panel member for the review of Athena SWAN.
• Trustee of RNIB Cymru.
• Chairman of the Conseil Consultatif for the Archaeometry facility at the Soleil Synchrotron France.
• Founding member of Vale for Africa.
• Chair of the Photon Science Governing Body for the New Light Source Project.

 Previous recent roles have included:- 

• Until July 2010 I was a member of STFC Science Board.
• In 2010 I was a member of the EPSRC basic technology review team.

Most of my research involves interdisciplinary projects with other Universities and research institutes.  The main theme of my research is investigation of order and disorder in the structure of biological systems.  The disorder can be inherent within a material or can be an effect of ageing, post mortem deterioration or environmental effects.

I study the interactions in biological materials from the living through historical to archaeological contexts.  Although the systems that I investigate are hierarchical, the organisation at the level of nanostructures is often key to the performance of mesoscopic and macroscopic structures.  My group has been involved in the study of important historical collagen based materials such as the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Domesday Book, which has attracted significant media attention.

Main projects that have been funded are:- 

• The three dimensional structure of collagen
• Biomechanical properties of collagen
• Fibrillin elastic properties
• Analysis of historic parchment
• Mineralisation, development and diagenesis of bone structures
• Manipulation of interfibrillar interactions in collagen based tissues
• Ultraviolet irradiation of collagen – chitosan complexes
• Fibrillar structure of cellulose
• Structure function relationships in collagen chitosan blends