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. Alongside extensive work on light dosimetry and safety, I have been involved in clinical work, including clinical trials, and working with patients on designing research, treatments and after-care. I have also worked in instrumentation development, designing and validating devices for use in research or clinical practice. Most notably I led a British Skin Foundation funded project to develop an LED-based device for clinical phototesting.