Meet The nuron Team of Technical Advisors

nuron’s entrepreneurial management team is complemented by a team of technical advisors, experts in Optical Fibre Sensing and Networking, Sewer Engineering and Fluid Dynamics from the Pennine Water Group (a leading urban water engineering research group in the UK) at the University of Sheffield.

Kirill Horoshenkov is Professor of Acoustics in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Sheffield. He is an expert on novel sensing technologies for the inspection of underground assets and instrumentation. He has been principal investigator or co-investigator on 19 projects related to urban water sensing. He has over 160 publications in refereed journals and conference proceedings. He has a strong track record in research leading to non-academic impact. In 2009 he was awarded a prestigious Brian Mercer Award from the Royal Society, ultimately leading to the establishment of his spin-off, Acoustic Sensing Technology Ltd, which markets SewerBattTM technology for buried pipes inspection in the UK and overseas.

Simon Tait is Professor of Water Engineering in the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering at Sheffield University. He is an expert in the processes associated with sedimentation in river and urban drainage systems and the hydrodynamics associated with flows over rough, water worked sediment deposits. His secondary interests are in applying and developing improved measurement and management methodologies to allow urban water infrastructure systems to cope better with pressures caused by climate change, changing patterns of use and physical deterioration and more recently the study of energy use and recovery in urban water systems.  Simon has over 70 publications in refereed journals. He sits on CIWEM’s Urban Drainage Group and is current Editor of the ICE’s Water Management journal.

Dr. Stuart Kingsley (CEng, MIET, SMIEEE), developed fibre-optic phase modulation concepts for communication and sensing systems in the 1970’s and was the first to show optical fibres could be used for sensing.  The former Chief Scientist for SRICO in the USA with a focus on Fibre Optic and Integrated-Optic Communications and Sensing, now runs a photonics consultancy.  He has nearly 70 publications to his name and a dozen patents, and in 1984 was joint winner of the prestigious Rank Prize for Optoelectronics for his contribution to fibre optics.  Once described by the late Arthur C Clarke as a “Maverick” and in line with Stuart’s interest of doing controversial/unusual things in photonics, Stuart has been involved with the promotion of the Optical Search For Extra-terrestrial Intelligence (Optical SETI), since 1990.

Don Ridgers was formerly Principal Engineer for Wastewater Network at Thames Water, the UK’s largest Water and Sewerage Company, specialising in sewer rehabilitation, asset deterioration, asset failure research and integrating the established benefits or solutions through continual improvement of company standards and into investment plans. Drawing on his 28 years’ experience working at Thames Water and earlier work in local government, he now runs a successful consultancy company providing specialist advice in all technical issues associated with sewerage. Additionally, he is the chairman of a number of key British and European Standards Committees for wastewater subjects.

You can read more about the nuron team here