Over ninety academic promotions announced at Imperial College

We meet some of the new Professors starting this academic year - News

Wednesday 1 October 2008
By Naomi Weston

Over ninety academics have been recognised for their hard work today (1 October) in this year’s Imperial College London academic promotions exercise.

Academics from across the College have been promoted to senior lecturer, senior research fellow, reader and professor.

The academic promotions process begins at the start of the academic year and members of staff can either be nominated for promotion by their department or division or they can nominate themselves. Candidates are then considered at either faculty level or by the Academic Promtions Committee. The title of professor is reserved for an individual who has achieved international standing and demonstrated international leadership in their relevant subject or profession.

Today’s announcement includes 26 new professors. We met some to find out about their research and how they feel at being promoted.

Molly Stevens from the Faculty of Engineering has become a new Professor of Biomedical Materials and Regenerative Medicine. She is Research Director for Biomedical Material Sciences in the Institute of Biomedical Engineering and her research focuses on regenerative medicine.

Molly Stevens has been promoted to professor

She says: “The research ongoing in my group is very multidisciplinary and focuses on the engineering of new biomaterials for regenerative medicine and for biosensing. For example we have designed new materials that allow bones to mend after tumours are removed from the bone. The material is planted into the cavity where a tumour has been removed and provides a platform for the bone to grow together and dissolves when the job is complete.

“We have also developed new sensors that use enzymes to detect diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

“I am delighted to have had our research recognised by the promotion to Professor and have a truly wonderful group of researchers working in my group to thank for this.”

From the Faculty of Medicine, Anthony Warrens has been promoted from Reader to Professor of Renal and Transplantation Medicine. His research group looks at the interactions between transplanted tissue and the immune system of the person receiving it.

Anthony Warrens has been promoted to Professor of Renal and Transplantation Medicine

The group has also been looking at popular attitudes to organ donation, with a view to understanding why so many people refuse consent to donation. “Given the serious shortage of organs for transplantation, it is important to know what ‘makes people tick’ in this regard,” he says.

Commenting on his new professorship, he adds: “I was delighted that the College has decided to promote me, citing both my research contribution and my work setting up new graduate-entry programmes for recognition. I look forward to continuing to develop both.”

From the Department of Physics in the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Roland Smith has been promoted from Reader to Professor of Laser Physics.

His research involves the development and use of ultra-short-pulse and high-power lasers to create and probe extreme states of matter. The lasers can deliver power of many terawatts, more than the total electrical generating capacity of the world.

He says: “My colleagues and I use these tools for a diverse range of laboratory investigations in areas such as high energy density plasma physics and non-linear optics.”

In addition, his research looks at ‘laboratory astrophysics’, which involves creating small-scale models of astrophysical objects such as supernova remnants. He says: “Our laser systems allow us to create the ultra-high temperature plasmas needed to mimic the processes which occur in these complex light year scale natural systems.”

Roland Smith's research involves the development of ultra-short-pulse and high-power lasers

He adds: “It is of course a great honour to become a professor of Imperial College, and a pleasure to acknowledge the support of many members of the Physics Department in this process.”

Walter Distaso, from the Imperial College Business School, has been promoted from senior lecturer to Reader in Financial Econometrics. His research is divided into two areas - volatility measurement and observing financial risk at very small intervals to obtain detailed information about the variation of an asset.

He is also looking at understanding the origins of stock-market volatility, which is of interest to both policy makers and market practitioners to further understand the behaviour of the stock market.

“I feel very happy to have been promoted and look forward to contributing even more to the fuure success of the Business School and of the College,” says Walter Distaso.

In addition, 47 academics have been promoted to reader, three to senior research fellow and 18 to senior lecturer.