Driven by curiosity. Driving changeBiography
Dr Samuel McDermott is an Associate Teaching Professor and Programme Manager of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Sensor Technologies and Applications in an Uncertain World (EPSRC Sensor CDT). Following studies in Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge and Computer Science at the University of Warwick, he completed a PhD in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Sheffield, where his research focused on ptychography, a quantitative phase microscopy technique.
He returned to Cambridge in 2019 as a Postdoctoral Research Associate, working on the OpenFlexure project to develop open-source scientific hardware and software. He subsequently worked on the BloodCounts! and HaemMatch projects, interdisciplinary data science collaborations between the Department of Mathematics and the Department of Haematology.
In 2024, he joined the EPSRC Sensor CDT as Associate Teaching Professor and Programme Manager. His role encompasses the development and delivery of postgraduate training, student recruitment, programme management, and engagement with academic and industrial partners. He also holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.
Samuel is a Fellow of Selwyn College, Cambridge.
Research interests
- Low-cost automation of scientific instruments for research and education.
Awards and achievements
- Fellow – Selwyn College, Cambridge
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Teaching and supervision
Samuel leads the academic programme of the EPSRC Sensor CDT, overseeing its delivery and contributing to teaching across the programme, including the Principles of Sensing course. He also lectures on the Part III course Data Acquisition. Beyond the CDT, he is Director of Studies in Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology and IA Physical Natural Sciences at Selwyn College, Cambridge, where he supervises undergraduate students.
