FEATURE
A visionary approach to optics
Professor Barbara Pierscionek is the Associate Dean of Research and Enterprise at Kingston University in the UK. She manages research programmes across a broad range of subjects, something that adds an interdisciplinary facet to her own work looking at the human lens and, in particular, the causes of
cataracts and optical image quality. Her work is also focused on improving the design of implant lenses by understanding exactly how the natural lens is built, how it functions and every aspect of its makeup from a biological, biochemical, engineering, mathematical and mechanical viewpoint. Here she talks to Projects about this work and about how her approach also throws up some surprising results
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rofessor Barbara Pierscionek is the Associate Dean of Research and Enterprise at Kingston University in the UK. As such, she manages research programmes across a broad range of subjects, from pharmacology and life sciences through to mathematics, computing, geology,
geography and even into the engineering schools with mechanical aerospace and civil engineering. While this is, of course, an enormous variety of disciplines and subjects to manage, Professor Pierscionek’s focus is consistent throughout them all. Her job, she says, is to ensure that while her teams are doing excellent research, they are also
writing good papers, bringing in grants and promoting enterprise. Promoting enterprise is important to most research institutions
and with research funders placing increasing emphasis on demonstrating impact, it is little wonder that universities are looking at applied research and applied science as an increasingly important aspect of their research focus. “We are fortunate here at Kingston that we have had a long-
standing track record in applied research and applied science, which is vitally important for the UK government’s agenda on impact,” explains Professor Pierscionek. “We are particularly well
Insight Publishers | Projects
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