Profile

I live in Brackley with my wife and occasionally her sister’s Labrador. A part from research I enjoy playing video games (namely World of Warcraft) and I’m trying my best to win the Fantasy Football league this season! I’m a Middlesbrough F.C. fan, which can be quite traumatic at times.

Managing diabetes can be a difficult process. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin to keep their blood sugar at a safe level as their pancreas no longer produces insulin. To decide how much insulin to take the person must take into account a number of factors. This includes type of meal, exercise, alcohol, and other day-to-day factors. To ease the process I am helping to build systems that will learn and improve insulin recommendations over time. The current project (called “PEPPER”) will run on a smart phone and makes use of wearable devices to reduce the amount of data the user needs to input. The person’s blood sugar level is monitored using a continuous glucose monitor and exercise using a fitness band. Our system keeps the person involved in the decision making process, allowing them to overrule the system and retain control.

A typical day will usually involve some software development, reading and preparing papers or reports, and some teaching. But some days I may find myself travelling to meet other researchers, patients or clinicians to discuss the systems being developed.