Stephen William Smye - New MBEC Deputy Editor


Date of Birth
13-07-1957

University Education

1976 - 1979
BA (Hons), Cambridge University, Trinity College, Natural Sciences (Physics and Theoretical Physics)

1979 - 1980
MSc, DIC, London University, Imperial College, Applied Optics

1983
MA Cambridge University

1992
PhD Leeds University - A mathematical model of reactive hyperaemia in the low leg. (Departments of Applied Mathematical Studies and Medical Physics)

Employment Summary

1980-1981
Optical Physicist, Ferranti plc, Dundee
1981-1984
Base Grade Physicist, Barnsley District General Hospital
1984-1985
Senior Grade Physicist, Barnsley District General Hospital
1985-1987
Senior Grade Physicist, St James's University and Killingbeck Hospitals
1987- 1990
Principal Physicist, St James's University Hospital
1990 - 1998
Consultant Physicist, St James's University Hospital
1996
Appointed Deputy Director of Research and Development, St James's and Seacroft University Hospitals NHS Trust

July 1996-November 1998
Director of Research and Development, St James's University Hospital

University Appointment
Honorary Senior Lecturer, School of Medicine, University of Leeds

Present Post
Head of Department
(from November 1998)

Professional appointments

2001-2003 President, Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine

Professional qualifications

  • Fellow of the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine
  • Affiliate of the Royal College of Physicians
  • State-registered clinical scientist

Details of current role

I am currently Head of the Department of Medical Physics and Engineering in the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, the largest acute Trust in the United Kingdom. The Department employs over 170 staff and has a turnover of £6m, offering a wide range of services, including radiotherapy, radionuclide and radiological physics, clinical and rehabilitation engineering, and physiological sciences, to the Trust and a range of public and private organisations throughout Yorkshire and beyond. An extensive research programme is undertaken in close collaboration with the Academic Unit of Medical Physics in the School of Medicine, and other departments in Leeds University, including computational biology and mechanical engineering.

Since entering medical physics in 1981, I have developed a range of research interests in the field. I have a long term commitment and interest in the application of mathematical techniques to clinical and biological problems as evidenced by extensive work in modelling of bioimpedance, solute kinetics in dialysis and blood flow. This has been supported by an external grant income over the last nine years of approximately £350,000 and has resulted in more than 60 publications in peer-reviewed journals and over 50 presentations at scientific meetings. My current research programme has three main strands;

  • Development of models of mass transfer in blood gas variation and clot lysis.
  • Analysis of the underlying biophysical description of the electrical properties of tissue.
  • Development of Terahertz spectroscopy for body tissue, in collaboration with the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Leeds University.

I also have a long-term interest in the strategic direction of research and development in healthcare and was Director of R&D at St James's University Hospital for 2 years. During this period, I was responsible for contributing to a number of key local and national initiatives, including extensive joint strategy development with the University of Leeds. I referee for most of the principal journals in medical physics and engineering.

Prof. Stephen W. Smye
Department of Medical Physics and Engineering
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
St James's University Hospital
Leeds LS9 7TF
United Kingdom
Email: s.w.smye@leeds.ac.uk