I re-joined the University in 2006 after a period in industry and I am currently Reader in Electronics and Electrical Engineering and Course Advisor for EEE fourth and fith year.

I received a BSc in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from the University of Glasgow in 1983 and after a year working for the BBC in Broadcasting House London I returned to do a PhD in Coherent Optical Communications. Following this I had my first spell at Strathclyde researching into optical sensor systems for structural monitoring. I became Senior Research fellow in 1991 and joined the Rolls Royce University Technology Centre in 1998.

I left the department during 2001-2004 when I worked as a Senior Engineer at Kamelian Limited, a start-up company in the telecommunication area making semiconductor optical amplifiers. Following this I went to Scottish Enterprise to take a post as a Senior Manager supporting the delivery of  the Intermediate Technology Institute ‘ITI Techmedia’.

In  2006 I came back to Strathclyde and continued to work on optical fibre communications technologies. At that time I also began also to develop a research expertise in wireless sensor technology for asset monitoring. Almost all of my research activity is now in this area with a particular emphasis on animal health monitoring. A few years ago we started a spin out company in this area. Now known as, SilentHerdsman Ltd., which makes neck mounted activity collars for cattle. The collars monitor cow movements and send alerts to enable farmers to inseminate the cattle at the optimum time, hence optimising milk yield. 

Wireless sensor systems;

Decision support;

Animal Welfare;

Precision livestock farming

My current research interests focus on wireless sensor networks and in particular the application of sensor systems within the area of animal health monitoring and precision livestock farming. Currently we are researching methods to process signatures derived from a neck mounted accelerometer in order to determine when a cow is in heat, when she is eating, drinking, ruminating, lying, standing or walking. This information facilitates the detection of a range of welfare events and enables farmers to optimise the performance of their herd. 

My teaching activities are aligned closely to my research experience and presently I teach several classes:

EE473 Photonic Systems - including optical communications technologies and systems

EM310 Signals and Systems

EE473 Information Transmission and Security