Liam Blackwell is Deputy Director for Cross Council Programmes, with responsibility for the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council’s participation in the UK’s National Quantum Technologies Programme, its involvement in the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, and its contribution to Health and Healthcare.
Prior to this he was Head of the Quantum Technologies Theme at EPSRC from 2015-2018. From 2008 to 2017 Liam was the Head of the Information and Communications Technologies Theme at EPSRC, responsible for the EPSRC’s strategy for ICT research and training.
Before joining the EPSRC in 2000, Liam Blackwell completed his PhD in material science at the University of Leeds and spent two years working at the technology centre of a Devon based clay mining company. At the EPSRC he has also worked in the Physics Programme team, Engineering Programme team and on delivery of the EPSRC's strategy for nanotechnology. Outside of work Liam is a keen hiker and skier.
Richard graduated from the University of Sheffield with a PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 1994. Following three years as a postdoctoral researcher working in Experimental Mechanics, he joined the Experimental Stress Analysis group at Airbus in Bristol where he developed and implemented a variety of optical stress and deformation measurement techniques for structural testing. During this time, he sponsored many postgraduate research projects and led the development of the Structures Test R&D strategy for Airbus, as well as managing the associated trans-national test programme.
Having followed a postgraduate training pathway, Richard delivered technical solutions in his field of expertise, with a focus on the usual business challenges of optimising cost, time and quality. He understands the value of collaborative engagement well, and during his career at Airbus, alongside chairmanship of the British Society for Strain Measurement, he fostered the development of stronger links between industry, academia and related technical societies – he is a strong believer in the industrial application of high-level academic research and skills.
As Director of the PGI, Richard continues to fulfil his passion for industry and academic collaboration. It is an ideal platform for postgraduate training, leading to the development of extremely desirable skills and capabilities that the benefit industry and academia alike, but most importantly, because they enhance the career prospects for postgraduate researchers.
You can read all about the first five years of the PGI here LinkedIn
The Postgraduate Institute of Measurement Science: Celebrating 5 Years of Collaboration Download slides (.pdf)
Prof Jesse Thaler is the inaugural Director of the NSF AI Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Fundamental Interactions. He is a theoretical particle physicist who fuses techniques from quantum field theory and machine learning to address outstanding questions in fundamental physics. His current research is focused on maximizing the discovery potential of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) through new theoretical frameworks and novel data analysis techniques.
Prof. Thaler is an expert in jets, which are collimated sprays of particles that are copiously produced at the LHC, and he studies the substructure of jets to enhance the search for new phenomena and illuminate the dynamics of gauge theories. He is also interested in new strategies to probe the nature of dark matter at the LHC and beyond.
Prof. Thaler joined the MIT Physics Department in 2010, and is currently an Associate Professor in the Center for Theoretical Physics. From 2006 to 2009, he was a fellow at the Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science at the University of California, Berkeley. He received his Ph.D. in Physics from Harvard University in 2006, and his Sc.B. in Math/Physics from Brown University in 2002. He was awarded an Early Career Research Award from the U.S. Department of Energy in 2011, a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers from the White House in 2012, a Sloan Research Fellowship from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in 2013, and a Harold E. Edgerton Faculty Achievement Award from MIT in 2016.
Fun Fact
As an undergraduate, Jesse Thaler was a late-night jazz radio DJ on 95.5 WBRU, using the radio name ""Lester"" after the legendary tenor saxophonist Lester Young. LinedIn
"Collision Course - Artificial Intelligence meets Fundamental Physics"
Professor Tim Spiller moved to York in 2014 as founding Director of the York Centre for Quantum Technologies and he is now also Director of the UK Quantum Communications Hub.
Prior to this he was at the University of Leeds in the roles of Head of the Quantum Information Group and Director of Research for the School of Physics and Astronomy. Prior to 2009 Spiller was Director of Quantum Information Processing (QIP) Research at HP Labs Bristol – an activity that he established in 1995 – and a Hewlett-Packard Distinguished Scientist.
He has spent 40 years researching quantum theory, superconducting systems and quantum hardware and technologies. He led HP’s strategy on the commercialisation of QIP research, is an inventor on 25 patents linked to quantum technologies and applications, and was additionally a consultant inside HP on networking, communications and nanotechnology.
Liam Bussey graduated in 2018 with a Masters Degree in Physics from the University of Kent. He is working as research professional with the Network Physics team of BT's Applied Research division. He is looking at introducing quantum technologies to the communication industry.
Marco joined BT in 2018, after finishing his PhD in cold atoms physics at Birmingham University with a thesis titled "Experimental set-up for realising long-range interaction using strontium atoms in an optical lattice". During his studies, he worked at NPL in London and the LENS in Florence.
At the moment he's working as a research specialist with the optical networks team. His research focus is QKD and optical clock with the IqClock project.
He first visited England in 2008 when he worked as a pizzaiolo in London for the summer season. LinkedIn
Atomic Clocks: The most precise instruments in the world.
If someone had started two atomic clocks during the Big Bang, those clocks wold now agree within about 2 seconds. Atomic clocks are so precise that they can measure the difference in the speed of time between your feet and your head. They do that by cooling a gas to a temperature of few micro kelvins (this is 0.000001 K above the absolute zero) and trapping the atom of the gas in an optical lattice generated by powerful lasers. Those atoms are then used as a reference to calibrate the clock.
Atomic clocks are starting now exiting the labs and now the question is: what can we do with such powerful instrument? Download slides (.pdf)
Professor Kai Bongs is Principle Investigator at the UK National Quantum Technology Hub Sensors and Timing, where he helps to drive the translation of quantum science into technology and applications across a diverse number of sectors, including climate, communications, energy, transport and urban development. Professor Bongs is also Director of Innovation at the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Birmingham and leads the Midlands Ultracold Atom Research Centre at the University of Birmingham.
Professor Bongs contributed to the Quantum Technologies: Blackett review, a Government report published in 2016, which explored how the UK could benefit from the research, development, and commercialisation of quantum technologies. He has built extensive links with key industry partners, working with over 40 companies in over 30 projects.
Professor Bongs received the Josiah Mason award for Business Advancement in 2017 and the Denis Gabor Medal form the Institute of Physics in 2019, in recognition of his leadership of translation of Quantum Technology to industry. Professor Bongs is Editor-in-Chief for the European Physical Journal (Quantum Technologies). He is also a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Fellow, as well as a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and the Institution of Engineering and Technology. LinkedIn
Quantum Technology - Sensors that Change the World
We need great minds developing the ideas with which quantum sensors will shape our future. Whenever we learn to sense something we could not sense before, we might be on the verge of changing the world. One recent example is the CCD sensor, invented in 1969 and awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2009. This sensor has been pivotal to the social media revolution, enabling every person to take photos and videos with their phone wherever they are and send then around the world. Quantum sensors and clocks promise a whole range of new capabilities, from looking into the ground to interfacing with the brain. I will introduce some basic quantum sensor concepts, highlight ground-breaking capabilities and am looking forward to discussing your application ideas.
Detlef Nauck is the Head of AI & Data Science Research for BT’s Applied Research Division located at Adastral Park, Ipswich, UK. Detlef leads a programme spanning the work of 30 international researchers who develop capabilities underpinning modern AI systems.
A key part of the work is to establish best practices in Data Science and Machine Learning for conducting data analytics professionally and responsibly leading to new ways of analysing data for achieving better insights.
Detlef is a computer scientist by training and holds a PhD and a Postdoctoral Degree (Habilitation) in Machine Learning and Data Analytics. He is a Visiting Professor at Bournemouth University and a Private Docent at the Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Germany. He has published 3 books, over 120 papers, and holds over 20 patents. LinkedIn
Please read more about Mike on the Cavendish Lab website.
Reflections on a career in Science
In his talk Mike will reflect on a number of pivotal moments in his own career in physics and attempt to offer advice to those who are thinking of pursuing a similar path.
In her role as Responsible AI and AI for Good Lead at PwC, Maria advises clients and partners across industry, academia, governments, and more, on how to harness the power of AI in an ethical and responsible manner. She has played a crucial part in the development and set-up of firms' AI Center of Excellence, AI strategy and the Responsible AI toolkit, a suite of products dedicated to operationalisation ethics in AI.
Maria is a globally recognised AI ethics expert, a Advisory Board member of the UK Government All-Party Parliamentary Group on AI and ORBIT, vice chair of techUK Data and AI leadership committee and member of BSI/ISO & IEEE AI standard groups. Maria is a passionate advocate for gender diversity, children and youth rights in the age of AI.
Recently she was named an expert advisor for UNICEF #AI4Children and WEF Generation AI programmes.
Ardel began his career in the optical communications industry as a project engineer for BICC Telecommunication Cables Ltd in 1983. Since then he has held a number of Systems Engineering and Sales Management positions with Lucent Technologies, Intel, Furukawa Electric and Nexans. For the past 6 years he has he has been the Technical Sales Director for the BT Account at ADVA.
Ardel holds a BSc in Pure & Applied Physics from the University of Salford and a Diploma in Management Studies from Henley Management College.
Total Internal Reflections: A review of some of the key developments in optical transmission systems that have evolved since the dawn of the industry in the 1980’s, with some commentary on why they were significant, followed by a glance forwards at some interesting emerging technologies.
Please meet Fraser Burton, who is the sponsor of this 'Let's Get Physical' conference, and thus will set the scene for each day.
“We connect for good” - We can make the world a better place with knowledge, if we choose to. But how can we know what to believe? In a world of fake news and billions of social media accounts, there is a lot of nonsense out there.
This is not a new problem, in fact the solution was found five hundred years ago with the birth of the Scientific Method. Richard Feynman, one of the world’s greatest physicists, said it well “ The test of all knowledge is experiment. Experiment is the sole judge of scientific truth. But also needed is imagination to create the great generalisations and then to experiment again to check whether we made the right guess”.
Physics is the foundation of our technological world and this week we celebrate the role of physics and physicists in shaping the Digital Future.
Fraser Burton is Senior Manager of Network Physics within BT's Applied Research department.
Fraser’s childhood was influenced by Carl Sagan’s science programmes and Isaac Asimov’s science fiction stories. His first science experiment was to copy the cartoon electromagnet used by the Coyote to catch Roadrunner, which unfortunately shorted out his parent’s house and TV set. Later experiments included producing chlorine gas from salt water, throwing sodium in a bath tub and electrifying a wet lawn.
Although the short-term consequences of these experiments were unfortunate, every experimental outcome is a chance to learn! Fraser studied Physics at Oxford and Telecoms Engineering at Kings College London and went on to join BT at our global research HQ, Adastral Park. After a long and surprisingly varied career working across most functions and parts of this multi-national company, Fraser is now ridiculously pleased to be leading a team conducting transformational physics research to improve telecommunications.
Fraser is a passionate advocate of the power of physics to make the world a better place – there is still so much to learn, we just need the imagination and courage to ask the right questions.
Mike Williams is the Downstreaming Research and Innovation manager for BT’s Customer Innovation Centre.
Mike is our go-to person when we need a conference moderator.
In his day job Mike gets to play across a wide range of innovative technologies including, Quantum Computing, robotics, 5G, the Internet of Things, Drones, holograms and AI/ML.
During his career Mike has worked in Europe, the US and Japan and his business skills spans a wide array of expertise in Satellite communications, joint ventures, partnerships, business planning & strategy, marketing and HR operations.
Mike’s work today is focused on understanding and disrupting industry and company business models by introducing innovation, technology and thought leadership.
We asked Mike to provide a photo as daring as he's prepared to go...
The team just couldn't resist to share. Yes, we do have fun while planning conferences for you - Get ready for the ride!
Neil Parkin has a Master of Engineering degree in Electronic and Optoelectronic Engineering from Hull University.
He started his work life at HP/Agilent Technologies, where he designed optical transceivers from the laser/photodiode up.
Later he joined BT Group and designed and installed DWDM networks, before moving on to BT Research, now 'Applied Research', as a Research Manager with the Optical Networks Team.
There he does everything optical from PON's to optical sensors…if it has the O word involved, he is interested!
Professor Timothy John Whitley is a BT Distinguished Engineer and serves as MD Applied Research for BT and MD of BT’s Technology Campus ‘Adastral Park’ in Suffolk, England. He is accountable for all aspects of BT’s Global Research activities, which includes applied research, technology and partnerships with world leading universities.
Tim joined BT in 1981 as a Telephone Engineering apprentice in North Wales and has held roles in Research, Technical Architecture, Strategic Analysis and Corporate Strategy.
