Dr Euan Allen, a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow in the Department of Physics, has been awarded the 2023 Institute of Physics Clifford Paterson Medal.

The medal, awarded to both Dr Allen and his business partner Dr Alasdair Price, recognises ‘exceptional early-career contributions to the application of physics in an industrial or commercial context’.

Drs Allen and Price are, respectively, the Chief Technology Officer and Chief Executive Officer of Siloton Limited, a company using the latest advancements in integrated photonics to improve the global population’s health.

One in four over-60s experiences age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of sight loss in the developed world. Treatment must be rapid and precise, but the technology required is currently only available in clinics, limiting availability and leading to poorer patient outcomes.

The pair received the medal for developing and commercialising a world-leading remote monitoring system, that brings together next-generation diagnostic imaging with Siloton’s own cloud-based algorithms.

Dr Euan Allen said: “We are very happy to be recognised by the Institute of Physics and would like to give a big thank you to all the engineers, suppliers, and partners that we have worked with over the past 18 months to make this possible.”

The Clifford Paterson Medal is named after Sir Clifford Paterson, an English scientist and electrical engineer who rose to become director of the General Electric Company. He was also deeply involved in creating a national framework for science and engineering and served as president of the Institute of Physics from 1937 to 1939.

The IOP awards celebrate physicists at every stage of their career; from those just starting out through to physicists at the peak of their careers, and those with a distinguished career behind them.

They also recognise and celebrate companies which are successful in the application of physics and innovation, as well as employers who demonstrate their commitment and contribution to scientific and engineering apprenticeship schemes.

Professor Ventsislav Valev, Head of the Department of Physics said of the award: “I am delighted that Euan has been awarded the Clifford Paterson Medal from the Institute of Physics. His work is well-deserving of this and many more honours. Congratulations Euan!”