Stephen Matthews is on a mission. He’s a recent graduate who has a Double Masters in Innovation Design Engineering, and has joined the Hamlyn Centre with the aim of improving people's health.

Researcher profile: Stephen Matthews

Stephen Matthews is on a mission. He’s a recent graduate who has gained a Double Masters in Innovation Design Engineering, a degree that’s jointly run by Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art, and is planning to make the world a better place.

“I describe myself as a professional inventor who returned to school looking for a new career direction. Before returning to education, I worked on a freelance basis and was often hired to crack the patent system. While this work paid well, it wasn’t ultimately satisfying because the products I was designing and manufacturing were not addressing the really important problems the world currently faces.

 “I found the new direction in my Solo project for the Double Masters. The beauty of this course was ability to combine the arts and sciences as I had access to the latest scientific resources and an opportunity to enhance my understanding of how to make objects valuable and desirable from a consumer’s perspective. This combination gave me the confidence to push my personal boundaries way beyond my comfort zone!

 “It was worth it though, particularly when I was awarded the 2011 Helen Hamlyn Award for Medicine for a diagnostic device that helps diabetics manage their condition.

 “I spent a great deal of time researching the condition with the help of the charity Diabetes UK. During my research I realised that patients wanted to monitor and respond to their condition without it getting in the way of their daily lives. The aim of my project, Healthcare Anytime, Anywhere was then to create something that allowed Type 1 diabetics to be independent. I created a wearable patch that dispenses medication from six chambers and is loaded with intelligent sensors that transmit their data via a wireless link to a mobile phone. This meant they didn’t need to take oral medication.   

 "I am very proud to have won the award because it reinforced my decision to try a new direction and it’s great that my efforts can make a real change. However, none of this would be possible without the pervasive sensing group in the Hamlyn Centre. It was a real privilege that they accepted my project, and their receptive and supportive approach quickly allowed me to integrate their expertise and state-of-the-art technologies into industry ‘standard’ prototypes. 

 I’ve now joined the Hamlyn Centre as a Research Associate and start my new career at Imperial College London’s Institute of Global Health with very clear objectives: I want to create medical advancements which can improve the quality of life for all people with minimal impact on the world’s resources.”

Read more about Stephen's award from the Helen Hamlyn Centre.