The group is concerned with studying the effects of optical radiation on human health. This includes the beneficial and detrimental effects of natural daylight and artificial light sources, from the ultraviolet (UV) through the visible light spectrum to near-infrared (N-IR). Currently the group is studying the release of nitric oxide in response to daylight exposure. Nitric oxide (NO) is an important molecule which is known to reduce blood pressure. Our group has published work showing that exposure to ultraviolet-A (UV-A) radiation, which is present in daylight, can promote the release of nitric oxide in the skin. This important finding may help pave the way for designing 'daylight therapies' during the winter months for at-risk populations - accurate dosimetry, safety implications and effect size are vital to understand, and the Optical Radiation Effects Group is researching these parameters. Another topic of interest is the impact of light exposure on metabolic disease. Our recent work suggests that UV-A exposure on the skin can introduce systemic effects that mitigate the build-up of lipid droplets in the liver. This paves the way for further research on how daylight exposure may be beneficial in alleviating conditions such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and to explore the mechanisms associated with such an effect. The group is also interested in the use of UV-C lights for airborne virus inactivation, and the effects that such radiation has on human skin. It has been shown that Far-UVC (200-230 nm) exposure produces very little meaningful DNA damage or reddening of the skin (unlike sunburn-causing UV-B) and is therefore thought to be 'safe', however we know very little about what other processes these wavelengths may mediate, such as immune signalling. The group aims to investigate these as-yet unexplored mechanisms.
National Institute for Health Research, Health Protection Research Unit:
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I am an engineer/physicist specialising in the interactions of light and living matter. I graduated from the University of Dundee with both a BEng in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Physics. Since finishing my PhD I worked in the Photobiology Unit at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, studying the diagnosis and treatment of skin disease and cancer using light. I am now leading the Optical Radiation Effects Group at the UKHSA, continuing the work of uncovering the interactions between light and life, and how these might impact human health.
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