Position
Chief Engineer at the company.
Education and early research
- 1982–1986 | First-class honours bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, University College Cork, Ireland, with early work on far-infrared laser systems.
- 1986–1988 | M.Eng.Sc. in electrical engineering and laser systems, University College Cork; research on a compact, high-power, tunable CO₂ waveguide laser.
- 1988–1991 | Doctoral research with University College Cork and UKAEA’s Culham Laboratory on ion transport in the HBTX reversed-field pinch, combining plasma-physics experiments with diagnostic development.
Professional experience
- 1992–2004 | Director, Walsh Scientific Ltd; development of diagnostic and optical systems for fusion, fission and accelerators, alongside continuing work on the UK spherical-tokamak programme.
- 2004–2009 | Electron Kinetics Group Leader, UK Atomic Energy Authority, combining experimental operations, diagnostic development and international collaboration across JET, MAST and ITER.
- Led the ITER Diagnostics Team, overseeing development, procurement, integration and delivery of diagnostics for scientific research, plasma control and machine protection
- Subsequently led ITER’s Fusion Technology and Instrumentation & Control Division.
Selected devices and diagnostic systems
- START | Contributed to the early UK spherical-tokamak programme and managed development and commissioning of a 30-channel Thomson scattering system supporting confinement, high-beta and temperature/density studies.
- MAST | Project manager for the 130-spatial-point, eight-laser high-performance Thomson scattering system and project lead for the 35-point motional Stark effect diagnostic; work on equilibrium and profile measurements, optics and lasers.
- JET | Managed the multi-band profile reflectometry project and contributed to diagnostic operations and development for a large tokamak.
- ITER | Led UKAEA’s core LIDAR diagnostic design team and organized European laboratory collaboration; advanced diagnostic integration with the machine, buildings, plant systems and instrumentation & control architecture.
International programmes and leadership
- Oversaw a portfolio of approximately 100 ITER projects, valued at about €2 billion in cash and in-kind contributions; led negotiations for 67 international agreements involving the ITER members.
- Built and led a division of more than 170 personnel from approximately 35 countries, coordinating laboratories, universities, industry and domestic agencies.
- Engineering experience spans scientific requirements, concept development, design, nuclear-safety review, procurement, integration, installation and commissioning readiness, including work on SIC1 safety-important systems.
Scientific collaboration and additional engineering
- 2007–2009 | Chair, ITPA Thomson Scattering Working Group.
- Additional work includes beam-characterization instrumentation for Diamond Light Source, radiation-resistant optical lenses, high-power laser-beam combination systems, and scattering equipment for the Brazilian space programme.