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Link Technologies Ltd
Link Technologies was established in the West of Scotland fifteen years ago and has since built an enviable global reputation as a boutiq…
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Girkin, John
Associate Director of the Institute of Photonics at the University of Strathclyde
Dr John Girkin is one of the founders of the Centre for Biophotonics at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow which is the first centre in the UK specifically formed to develop and apply photonics technology to biomedical challenges.
After achieving his doctorate in high resolution atomic spectroscopy, Dr Girkin spent a decade working in industry before returning to academia in 1996. He describes the Institute of Photonics as "effectively bridging the gap between academia and the real world".
Dr Girkin also sits on the Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA) Biophotonics Panel. SUPA exists to pool the knowledge of researchers at six Scottish universities (Strathclyde, Glasgow, Edinburgh, St Andrews, Paisley and Heriot Watt).
Dr John Girkin is a key figure on the international lecture circuit and a leading researcher in his field. Despite this however, he cheerfully describes himself as having "A stupid mind full of useless facts".
He also admits that, as a physicist, his "toolbox" for even the most complex of applications contains parts from high street electrical stores and any other source he can cannibalise. His unique expertise lies in finding practical solutions to real challenges, using a very broad general knowledge gained from a decade spent working in industry.
While working with ophthalmic company Keeler, Dr Girkin designed and built the world's first diode laser photocoagulator to treat encroaching blindness in diabetic patients. He describes the laser formerly used as "the size of a desk and needing gallons of water for cooling." His alternative was portable and had far greater utility in clinical settings yet depended on laser technology which he had cannibalised from the CD market, demonstrating his happy knack of spotting the relevance of existing technology for use in complex medical applications.
"A vital component of the success of the Institute of Photonics is that we understand the needs of the life science community. And through detailed knowledge of physical processes, we have been able to save vast sums of money in developing new procedures and therapies, by amending and adapting existing technologies for alternative use".
Dr Girkin says "The University of Strathclyde is very supportive of someone like me, who doesn't think of themselves as a pure academic, or a pure physicist. There are also excellent possibilities for working closely with industry - and especially with the exciting life science community in the West of Scotland and beyond."
"There is first class research going on at several key sites nearby and with Edinburgh only 45 minutes away and St Andrews and Dundee reachable in 2 hours, Scotland offers people like me an excellent melting pot for sharing expertise."
Dr Girkin's current research is focused on developing new techniques for the diagnosis of early dental disease, at a stage where intervention is not required and, if the right conditions are provided, the body still has the capacity to heal itself.
He explains "When light is shone on the tooth, different amounts are absorbed, revealing lost minerals behind the tooth façade. By using optics correctly, we are able to take a complex depth profile of the tooth. This has the potential to be much safer and more versatile than existing X-ray technology."
This technology has much wider potential diagnostic uses such as in early detection and monitoring of tumours in cancer care. It comes as no surprise however that the new technology his team has evolved uses components of domestic CD players and webcams!
"Our philosophy is always to understand the desired outcome first and to ask the right questions. After that, we strive to remove any pre-conceived ideas and find the best fit."
His latest challenge even borrows knowledge from the field of astronomy, where the study of distant planets is complicated by having to view through the earth's atmosphere (or use very expensive space borne telescopes). The atmosphere blurs the images giving lower resolution pictures of distant star systems.
The team have taken means used to visually "remove" such disturbance and applied the same technology to the microscopic study of tissue samples in the lab. "By optically removing or ignoring higher layers of tissue under the microscope, we are able to study target areas in live samples much faster and easier than through biopsy. This has huge potential implications for quality of treatment and early diagnosis."
Through understanding the effects and applying the laws of physics in real world situations, Dr Girkin and his team have been able to come up with innovative solutions, tangible benefits, and substantial cost savings for those developing clinical products.
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