After completing his MSc between the University of St Andrews and Heriot-Watt University in photonics and optoelectronic devices, he then carried out his PhD at Heriot-Watt working on developing new ultrafast light sources and studying the interaction of light with gases. This experience has ensured Mohammed is an expert in developing ultra-violet laser sources for healthcare applications.

Kerrianne is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bath as part of the interdisplinary U-Care project. Kerrianne works on developing hollow optical fibres and systems for UV-C light (200-220 nm) and is working to develop ways to precisely deliver this light for new therapies that target some of the biggest challenges facing medicine: cellular-precision cancer surgery, and the emergence of drug-resistant “super-bugs”. 

Kerrianne is particularly excited by research that allows her to develops novel optical systems and optical fibres for applications. She interested in controlling light with optical fibres, and in designing and making novel fibres and fibre devices for practical applications. She has an extensive background in optical fibre fabrication, splicing, interconnection, packaging of optical fibres for robust handling, and simulation of optical fibres.

Aysha completed her undergraduate and doctoral studies at the University of Birmingham. Her research focused on using modified DNA for the control and detection of proteins and small molecules. She worked for Science Capital, an event management company, helping to organise science events during her PhD. Her postdoctoral career began with developing new methods to detect potato viruses at Science & Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA). Her current role within the u-Care project involves investigating the effects of UV-C light as a treatment option for bacterial or fungal forms of microbial keratitis, an infection of the cornea. Her scientific interests lie in the early treatment and detection of infections, as well as public engagement.

Alex completed her undergraduate in mechanical engineering at Newcastle University discovering a love for bioengineering so completed a research masters at the University of Edinburgh in 2022. Alex joined u-Care in 2023 to investigate the effects of DUV light on human cells, eye models, and bacteria. She is working on understanding the mutagenesis of DUV light and bacterial efficacy.

Francis is a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Edinburgh, working on the U-Care project. His current research focuses on developing navigation systems for autonomous robotic bronchoscopy, enabling the robot to understand where it is and where it needs to go within the human airway.

He received his PhD in Computer Science from Durham University, UK, where he focused on integrating geometric priors into deep learning systems for clinical video analysis. Prior to that, he received an MRes in Healthcare Technologies from King’s College London, an MSc in Statistics from the University of Southampton, and a bachelor’s degree in Medicine from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine.

He is passionate about developing robust and interpretable AI systems for healthcare applications. In addition, he has a strong interest and background in health informatics, particularly in the fields of psychiatry and epidemiology, supported by his prior training in medicine and statistics.

Saba Khan joined the U-care project as a research staff member in November 2024, where she is currently working on the development of a fibre-based shape sensing system for the daughter catheter of the bronchoscope.

Previously, she was with the University of St. Andrews, where she designed optical trapping systems and contributed to speckle metrology and optoacoustic imaging for early Alzheimer’s disease detection.

Earlier in her career, she held a postdoctoral position at IIT Delhi, focusing on structured light generation via wavefront and polarization shaping. She earned her PhD from IIT Kharagpur, India in 2017, specializing in few-mode fibre design, and was awarded a Women Scientist Project to develop mode analysis algorithms for advanced nonlinear fibre devices.

Loki is a postdoctoral researcher in the experimental medicine domain of the u-Care project at Heriot Watt University.  Her role is to fabricate micro-lenses using 2PP for imaging the far-field lung cavities. This will play a crucial role to map the lung airways providing insight into accessing deeper areas of the lung that hasn’t been reached or explored before. In addition to the fabrication of lenses, she is also developing novel tissue sampling tools using advanced laser-based manufacturing processes for performing biopsy with high precision and repeatability.  

Loki received her doctorate in 2024 from Heriot-Watt University, for her work focussing on ‘Laser-based fabrication and heat treatment of shape memory alloys (SMAs)’. This was part of the EPSRC funding call for adventurous manufacturing project to build SMA based micro-scale components for applications in minimally invasive surgery. Her work effectively demonstrated the feasibility of fabricating NiTi-based SMAs using laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT).

Prior to her PhD, Loki received her master’s from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Aix Marseille University with specialisation in Photonic materials and devices. Her research during this time included constructing holographic notch filters, fabricating volume Bragg gratings and developing free-form micro-optical elements using high R.I resins.

Loki’s current research interests are inclined towards using laser-based manufacturing processes for precision engineering biomedical devices with focus on diagnostic and surgical applications. Beyond her research, Loki is also a passionate STEM ambassador and mental health advocate.