Our Team
Strathclyde
Prof Stuart Reid
Director
Member of EPOC Management Board: Prof Stuart Reid leads a multidisciplinary team of researchers working on both optical coatings (for astronomy, quantum and biomedical applications) and stem cell technologies (focussed on bone therapies). Prof Stuart is also CEO of BRL Laser Damage Ltd, a fully independent test house for performing laser damage testing, both threshold (LIDT) and certification (Pass/Fail) over a wide variety of parameters. He is also Co-Director of the Centre for the Cellular Microenvironment (CeMi) between the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde.
Dr Mariana Fazio
Deputy Director & 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 – GW & industry interface
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 also leads the technical delivery of EPOC’s commercial coating contracts, covering the full chain from optical design and specification through deposition to final metrology and characterisation, with a particular focus on high-LIDT coatings for high-power laser optics. She works closely with industrial clients, transferring innovation from UKRI-STFC funded programs, and to translate requirements into qualified, production-ready optical coatings.
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.
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.