Graduated with an honours degree in electronic engineering from University College Dublin in 1979 and spent a number of years as a communications systems design engineer developing optical fiber transmission systems before joining the DIT. Awarded Ph.D. from Trinity College Dublin for research in all-optical synchronization using self-pulsating laser diodes in 1994. Head of the School of Electronic and Communications Engineering at the DIT since 2001. Technical director between 1997 and 2003 of a startup company PX Instrument Technology, focusing on optical fiber system test and measurement systems. Founder and Director of the DIT Photonics Research Centre. Current research interests lie in several areas of optical fibre sensing including FBG interrogation systems; the modeling and applications of fiber bend loss to optical sensing; SMS and other fiber structures for sensing applications; Photonic crystal fibre sensors for environmental sensing and for sensing strain in composite materials and medical devices, LC infiltrated PCF sensors and micro-fiber and nanowire sensors for bio-sensing. Currently mentoring several post-docs and supervising four PhD students. Supervised five PhD students to completion. Principle investigator for several projects funded by Enterprise Ireland and SFI. Member of the COST Action TD1001 on Optical Fibre Sensing. Over 200 journal and conference publications in the area of photonics. Active research collaborations include collaborations with photonics groups in Warsaw University of Technology and Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications.

Optical fibre sensing, Photonic crystal fibre, Fibre sensors for smart composte structures, Micro-fiber and Nanowire sensors for Bio-sensing, Fibre sensors for surgical device applications