I have been working in atomic physics for thirty years. As a PhD student with Malcolm Boshier I turned an empty optical table into the first Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) in the UK in two years (Guardian 8/10/1998). Other leading roles were the world’s first delta-kick cooling of BECs, ring traps for BECs, and single-beam tetrahedral magneto-optical trap geometries – with particular impact in quantum technology and knowledge exchange. I also lead experiments in thermal atomic vapours: Doppler-broadening thermometry and four-wave mixing with structured light. In addition to my experimental work, I have published on theoretical projects both as sole author and collaboratively.

My undergraduate studies (BSc(Hons) in Mathematics, and MSc in Physics) were carried out at the University of Otago in my hometown of Dunedin, New Zealand.