Our Team
Strathclyde
Prof Stuart Reid
Director
Member of EPOC Management Board: Prof Stuart Reid is Head of Biomedical Engineering and Royal Society Industry Fellow at the University of Strathclyde, and leads a multidisciplinary team of researchers working on both stem cell technologies (focussed on bone therapies) and optical coatings (for astronomy, quantum and biomedical applications).
Dr Imogen Birney
Senior KE Fellow
Dr Imogen (Immy) Birney has significant experience within both academic research and industrial production, and led the initial development at Strathclyde (with Glasgow and UWS partners) of ultra-low absorption amorphous silicon deposited by high-energy ECR ion beam deposition. Dr Birney is funded by one of the UK’s national quantum programs (Quantum Technologies for Fundamental Physics – https://www.sr.bham.ac.uk/qi/) in addition to commercial contracts associated with EPOC at NMIS.
Dr Mariana Fazio
STFC Ernest Rutherford Research Fellow
Dr Mariana Fazio is an Ernest Rutherford Research Fellow funded by STFC. She is pioneering the development of novel oxides, including titania-germania alloys, for the next upgrades to the LIGO observatories.
Dr Marwa Ben Yaala
Research Fellow – high energy IBD
Dr Ben Yaala is a Research Fellow working on optical coatings for gravitational wave observatories, funded by the UKRI Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). She leads the development of high-energy ion beam deposition, utilising compact ECR (electron cyclotron resonance) plasma ion sources.
Dr Chalisa Gier
Research Associate
Dr Chalisa Gier led the initial development of oxide coatings based on our high energy ECR ion beam deposition and is currently funded by STFC to develop hybrid crystalline-amorphous coatings for GW observatories and high-power (LIDT) applications.
Mr Steven Armstrong
PhD student (Strathclyde/NMIS)
Mr Steven Armstrong is a PhD student at Strathclyde, funded by STFC and NMIS, and is leading the development of nitride coating technologies e.g. SiNx.
Mrs Daniella Alvarenga
Accounts Manager
Mrs Daniella Alvarenga is an administrative assistant within the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Strathclyde. She provides financial support for the commercial contracts being progressed at NMIS.
Mr Hugh Frizell
Deposition Engineer
Mr Hugh Frizell is an expert in vacuum deposition technologies and has a broad array of industrial and academic experience. He leads the operations of EPOC and supports all of the academic projects and the industrial engagement.
Glasgow
Prof Sheila Rowan
Director of the IGR, Chair of Natural Philosophy
Member of EPOC Management Board: Prof Sheila Rowan CBE FRS FRSE FInstP is the Director of the IGR (since 2009) and Chair of Natural Philosophy at the University of Glasgow.
Dr Iain Martin
Senior Lecturer
Member of EPOC Management Board: Dr Iain Martin leads the experimental laboratories in the Institute for Gravitational Research focussed on optical coating design and characterisation. He led the first studies in Glasgow which correlated atomic structure with mechanical dissipation in ion beam deposited coatings, and invented the multimaterial coating design concept for optimising the thermal noise and optical performance of Bragg reflectors.
UWS
Prof Des Gibson
Director ITFSI
Member of EPOC Management Board: Prof Gibson is Director of the Institute of Thin Films, Sensors and Imaging at the University of the West of Scotland. He has over thirty years track record in industry, academic based research & development and successful optical coating & sensor based product commercialisation.
Industrial partners/founders
Prof Caspar Clark
Industrial member of management board
Member of EPOC Management Board: Prof Caspar Clark is CEO of Helia Photonics Ltd and founding member of EPOC.
Dr Peter MacKay
Industrial member of management board
Member of EPOC Management Board: Dr Peter MacKay is Principal Technologist at Gooch and Housego (UK) Ltd and is a founding member of EPOC.