Research staff win top awards at House of Commons

Dr Jeremy O'Brien with his Cavendish Medal

Dr Maciej Klemm (left) with Dr Douglas Naysmith MP, Sponsoring Member for the presentations

18 January 2007

Two Bristol researchers have won top awards in their categories at a SET for Britain event to recognise early-stage researchers.

At the event for early-stage research physicists, Dr Jeremy O’Brien, an RCUK Academic Fellow in Physics and Electrical Engineering, won the Cavendish Medal and Ogden Prize for Physics Research.

Dr O’Brien works in experimental single photon quantum technologies, using single particles of light to develop new technology such as quantum computers. The award recognises his research on quantum metrology, which involves using quantum mechanical effects to achieve more precise measurements than is possible through ‘classical’ methods.

At the event for early-stage research engineers, Dr Maciej Klemm, a Postoctoral Research Fellow with the Electromagnetics Group in the Centre for Communications Research, won the BP’s Engineer’s Prize and the 2006 Gold Medal (donated by ExxonMobil) for Excellence in Engineering by an Engineer.

Dr Klemm is helping to develop an ultra-wide-band microwave system for breast cancer detection. Microwave imaging techniques result in a 3-D volumetric map of the relevant tissue properties rather than the 2-D projection generated by X-Ray systems. In laboratory experiments, tumours of different sizes – down to 4mm – and at different locations in the breast were successfully detected. Clinical trials with real patients are currently under way.

Last October, the new system won a global award for innovation in the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) annual Innovation Engineering Awards.

Further information

SET for Britain aims to 'encourages, support and promote Britain's early-stage research scientists, engineers and technologists who are the "engine-room" of continued progress in and development of UK research and R&D, and ultimately of UK plc'.