DrAlexander Thompson

Alex is an Associate Professor in the Hamlyn Centre, Institute of Global Health Innovation and the Department of Surgery & Cancer. His research centres on the development of novel tools for biomedicine based on optical spectroscopy, microscopy and interferometry. This involves applications in conditions ranging from rectal cancer to malnutrition, and has a particular focus on the development of low-cost diagnostic devices for use in the developing world.

Prior to his current role, Alex completed his PhD in the Physics Department at Imperial before working as a Postdoctoral Research Associate and Imperial College Research Fellow in Imperial’s Departments of Chemistry, Computing and Medicine. In those positions, he worked on a series of diverse projects including: development of novel endoscopic instruments for cancer diagnosis; investigation of protocells, amyloid materials and E. coli using fluorescence lifetime imaging of viscosity sensitive fluorescent dyes; use of Raman spectroscopy for early infection diagnostics; and fabrication of optical feedback mechanisms in microscale surgical robots.

In 2018, Alex was appointed as a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in the Hamlyn Centre and was also invited to become a member of the World Economic Forum’s Young Scientists Community. In the Hamlyn Centre, he leads the Clinical Photonics Lab and collaborates with numerous other local and international researchers in both academia and industry.