With support from the Centre for Learning and Teaching and the ‘Students as Producers’ grant, I had the opportunity to attend the AP-S/URSI International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation at the Fortezza De Basso centre in Florence Italy. While in attendance I presented my poster on the miniaturisation of a magnetic antenna for implantable medical devices. This conference provided an opportunity for engineers and scientists in the domain of antenna systems to meet and discuss novel work. This setting allowed me to discuss my developmental work on an antenna structure underexplored for biomedical applications: the magnetic loop antenna. I proposed an innovative miniaturisation methodology to reduce the diameter of a magnetic loop to minimise implant width while maintaining a reduced tissue electromagnetic absorption profile compared to traditional electric antenna systems. I presented my work both to academics working generally within antennas and propagation, as well as to those working specifically on biomedical applications to discuss the merit of the findings and the future of the work.
Travelling with my supervisor Dr Melusine Pigeon, I developed relationships with academics and industry professionals from all over the world over the course of many workshops and discussion sessions throughout the week, as well as over the dinners that followed. The wide range of applications and different technologies provided a basis for fascinating conversations and the significant broadening of my areas of interest within this field, especially with respect to wider biomedical applications of antenna systems.
Having the opportunity to explore Florence in the evenings and after the conference was incredible and opened my eyes further to Italian culture and history.
This experience and the opportunity to travel as part of my degree has been invaluable to my professional development. I am incredibly grateful to the Centre for Learning and Teaching for enabling me to attend the conference, present my work and to meet so many amazing people. This experience will be the stepping stone into my future research career.
Post by: James Smith, Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering
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