COST Action PRIORITY (19/10/2021 - 18/10/2025)

MONPLAS MSCA-860775 – H2020 ITN Research Project (01/2020-12/2023)

CanDo ICT-610472 – FP7 STReP Research Project (01/2014-08/2017)

POSITIVE ICT-257401 – FP7 STReP Research Project (09/2010-08/2013)

INTOPSENS ICT-223932 - FP7 STReP Research Project (09/2008-08/2011)

SABIO IST-026554 – FP6 STReP Research Project (01/2006-12/2008)

ePIXNET IST-004525 FP6 Network of Excellence (01/09/2004-01/09/2008)

LASERPOM FP6 CRAFT Research Project COOP-CT-2004-513275 (10/2004-10/2006)

ATOMCAD FP5 TMR Network- HPRN-CT-1999-00048 (02/2000-08/2004)

NanoFab FP4 TMR Network- ERBFMRXCT970129 (12/1997-11/2002)

CAD and verification of MM- and Submm-Wave Circuits FP4 TMR Network- ERBFMRXCT960050 (09/1996-08/2000)

Research Fellow, Aston University (2020-)

Marie Curie COFUND Research fellow, Aston University (2018-2020)

Senior Researcher “Universitat de Valencia” (2011-2017)

Researcher “KTH - Kungliga Tekniska högskolan” (2009-2010)

Senior Researcher “Universitat Politecnica de Valencia” (2006-2009)

Postdoctoral Researcher, “Universitat de Barcelona” (2004-2006)

Postdoctoral Researcher, “Sigma Plus” (2002-2004)

Postdoctoral Researcher, “Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona” (2000-2002)

Postdoctoral Researcher, “Universidad de Cantabria” (1999-2000)

Graduate Trainee, Philips Semiconductors (1998-1999)

Optofluidics and nanophotonics: the integration of novel photonic and plasmonic sensors within microfluidic devices for near proximity analyte flow, novel transduction mechanisms and spectral analysis. Of particular interest are those based on porous membranes, as substrates and templates for nanocolumns and QD/metal nanoparticles polymer-based composites. Within biosensing these can provide real time responses, the use of small sample/reagent volumes and added functionality, whilst for samples with micro and nanoplastics they can segregate them for angle resolved polarimetric SERS analysis.

CPhys, MInstP, IEEE, SPIE

Fast and specific detection of micro and nanoplastic by flowthrough plasmonic sensing - Aisha Bibi (09/20-)

Portable and low cost photoluminesent (PL) micro- and nanoplastics detection - Atif Iqrar (10/20-)

Development of a polarimetric based optical biosensor using a freestanding porous membrane biosensing – Jesus Alvaréz Alavaréz (09/10 – 7/13), maximum qualification (17/09/13).

£100,343 AIPT capital funding for a angle resolved polarimetric Raman micro spectrometer

£9500 Aston RKE pump priming fund

3.9M€ H2020 MSCA ITN project MONPLAS, 2020-2023 – Awarded/Management of whole project and legal principle researcher or PR (Aston)

4.0M€ FP7 ICT project CanDo, 2014-2017 – Awarded/Management of whole project and legal principle researcher or PR (UV)
Q-Nanotics (Spanish Ministry of Education) project, 2012-2015 – Proposal contribution, awarded/legal PR - head of group (UV)
2.9M€ FP7 ICT project POSITIVE, 2010-2014 – Awarded/Management of whole project and legal PR (UV)
10K€ VINNOVA award, 2010 – Awarded grant, legal PR - head of group (KTH)
2.6M€ FP7 ICT project INTOPSENS – Awarded/Management of whole project, legal PR - head of group (KTH)
SINADEC (Spanish Ministry of Education) project, 2009-2011 - Proposal contribution, awarded/PR - head of group/PR (UPV)
2.4M€ FP6 IST project SABIO – Management of whole project
6.0M€ FP6 IST NoE ePIXnet JRA Sensors – Partner manager
NANOPOLAR (Spanish Ministry of Education) project, 2006-2009 – Proposal contribution, awarded/PR - head of group/PR (UB)

2022 –  Graduate course: Interdisciplinary research, results and grant writing module (Aston University)

2020-2022 EE3OEL and AP4OEL Optoelectronics Module leader (Aston University)

2015, 2016 – Supervision of Physics for Biologists laboratory (University of Valencia)

2008-2009 - ‘GCSE’ and ‘A’ Level tutoring at British Private School

1998 - Support role in preparing and running Masters laboratory on materials selection

1997 - Support role in preparing and running Masters laboratory on materials selection

1996 - Support role in preparing and running Masters Workshop on crystallography

1995-1996 - Support role in preparing and running Masters laboratory on microscopy

1995 - Support role in preparing and running a computation analysis workshop

1994 - Support role in preparing and running various 1^st year physics laboratories

1993 - Support role in preparing and running various 1^st year physics laboratories

FEHA

Postgraduate Certificate Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (Distinction) – Aston University in 2019

Assistant professor/lecturer accreditation

Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (AQU) – Since 2018

Spanish National Agency for Evaluation of Quality & Accreditation (ANECA) – Since 2016

Project Reviewer

FETOpen, MCSA IEF, ICT and NMP evaluator in EC FP7 and H2020.
Nanoscience projects evaluator in the “Blanc programme” of the French National Research Agency (ANR).

 PhD THESIS EXAMINED

Nanophotonic biosensor based on surface Plasmon interference – Peter Debackere, 15/12/09

Senate member

PI representative of AIPT management group

Committee member of Agile Workspaces Working Group at Aston University 2021-present

Committee member of EPS Induction Working Group at Aston University 2021

Editorial board member of the International Journal of Foods and Biosystems Engineering
International Program Committee member of Allsensors 2016-present
International Program Committee member of Photoptics 2015-present
International Program Committee member for International Conference on Sensors Engineering and Electronics Instrumental Advances (SEIA) 2015-present
Scientific Committee of International Conference on Food and Biosystems Engineering (FABE) 2015, 2017
International program committee member of Eurosensors XXV
European Silicon Photonics Cluster
Expert in Nanofutures key node group of Design, Modelling and Testing of Materials
Student Representative of Liverpool University Engineering and Physical Sciences Graduate School Committee (1995-1998)
Secretary of Department of Materials Science and Engineering (University of Liverpool) Staff-Student Liaison Committee (1995-1998)
Faculty (Science and Engineering) representative for University Guild Council for University of Liverpool (1995-1998)

Room: NW617
Phone: 0121 204 5494
Email: d.hill2@aston.co.uk

Research topics of interest for supervising PhD students

There is a potential EPS studentship for the project "BIOAI– a state of art BIOsensor from a novel photonic polymer transducer for a low cost rapid field deployable diagnostic instrument capable of Avian Influenza detection."

Project summary: In collaboration with colleagues in EBRI (Dr Alfred Fernández-Castané), LHS (Prof. Anna Hine), EPS (Dr Thomas Thatapudi) and leading academic and industrial collaborators outside of Aston it is proposed to use a novel detection scheme that through exploiting a weakness of polymer photonics will not only lead to the first ever optical biosensor in such a material but also three beyond state of the art achievements

Candidates for this potential studentship should apply directly to the Aston University Graduate School from the 3rd of December 2022 until the 31st Jan 2023 to have their eligibility checked. Candidate interviews will take place on the week commencing 21st February 2023 until the 3rd March 2023 and the best candidate will be presented along with the project on 8^th March 2023. The best candidate/project combinations will be funded (up to 10).  Please contact for further details of how to apply.

The Horizon Europe MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme opens 13 April, closes 14^th September. https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-msca-2022-pf-01-01;callCode=null;freeTextSearchKeyword=Postdoctoral;matchWholeText=true;typeCodes=0,1,2,8;statusCodes=31094501,31094502,31094503;programmePeriod=null;programCcm2Id=null;programDivisionCode=null;focusAreaCode=null;destination=null;mission=null;geographicalZonesCode=null;programmeDivisionProspect=null;startDateLte=null;startDateGte=null;crossCuttingPriorityCode=null;cpvCode=null;performanceOfDelivery=null;sortQuery=sortStatus;orderBy=asc;onlyTenders=false;topicListKey=topicSearchTablePageState

The call is topic agnostic, encourages basic and applied (and everything in between) research form any discipline and is for career development through a 2 year maximum research Fellowship. Applicants must have no more than 7 years research experience from PhD onwards (must have a PhD) and you must not have spent more than 12 months in the UK over the last 3 years, working backwards from deadline date. You should have a solid CV for your career stage.

If you are interested in coming to one of the largest photonic research institutes in the UK to work on a project related to optofluidics, integrated polymer photonics, plasmonics and/or Raman spectroscopy write to me asap!