My current research interests include:
- Applications of microelectronics and microsystems technology for bioelectronic interactions with biological systems, including dielectrophoresis, biosensors and bioimpedance measurements.
- Development of “Smart Microsystems” which integrate novel microsystems technologies with integrated circuits.
- Design of test structures for the characterisation of new materials and processes for microsystems technology
- Research in a Nutshell Video on label free cell sorting (direct link to Vimeo).
I recently undertook a research sabbatical placement at the University of Tokyo funded by the Advantest VDEC D2T (Design to Test) initiative from May to September 2016. As part of this visit I gave a lecture focused on the integration of biosensors with electronics at the 11th VDEC D2T Symposium on the 21st of September 2016 at the Takeda Building, University of Tokyo.
I am a co-investigator on the Implantable Microsystems for Personalised Anti-Cancer Therapy (IMPACT) research programme which is funded by EPSRC and led by Professor Alan Murray. On the 7th of September 2016 I presented a webinar on the subject of the IMPACT project as a preview of my full presentation which was presented as part of the Bioelectronics and Biosensors Congress in London on 17-18 November 2016. You can request a free download of the webinar, including a talk by Prof. Wouter Serdjin of TU Delft on the subject of Electroceuticals at this link: Webinar Recording.
I am the principal supervisor for four PhD students working on the following topics:
- Development of bioelectronic interfaces for cell based biosensing
- Development of microfluidic devices for advanced ultrasound imaging
- Development of materials and processes for smart sensors in extreme environments
- Rapid Pathogen Detection with Nanoelectrodes and Microfluidics
I would be happy to discuss options for prospective PhD students interested in studying at the University of Edinburgh, please refer to this site for information on how this can be funded: Scholarships Office. I am also a supervisor in the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Integrative Sensing and Measurement and I am very happy to discuss possible projects as part of this programme.
My teaching activities include courses in biosensor technology and instrumentation that are offered to honours students on undergraduate programmes in Electronics and Electrical Engineering, and the taught postgraduate MSc in Electronics. In addition to biosensors topics I also teach courses in microelectronics, and digital systems design for computing architecture.
I am a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Young Academy of Scotland and a regular contributor to the YAS blog: Research the Headlines.
In 2012 I was elected to the grade of Senior Member of the IEEE and I am actively involved in IEEE sponsored activities. This includes the Scottish Chapter of the Electron Devices Society, the Student Branch of the IEEE at the University of Edinburgh and the IEEE International Conference on Microelectronic Test Structures (ICMTS) as a member of the technical programme committee. The deadline for submission of abstracts for ICMTS 2017 is on the 16th of October 2016 in Grenoble, France. Download the call for papers.
Further information about my activities and publications can be found on my Edinburgh Research Explorer page.
Picture: The beach at Lund, Unst, Shetland. © Stewart Smith 2008