Background

I received my MPhys degree at Warwick University. For my masters project I modelled a magnetic spin system, applying varying external forces to cause the spin states to change. This was to drive a thermodynamic system to produce a cooling cycle.

PhD Research

My PhD project involves the use of signal processing to extract useful sample information from measured data. Recently I have written code to apply a sparse deconvolution method, which excels at distinguishing thin layers of materials. THz has a strong potential in biomedical applications, as it is highly sensitive to the water content of skin. Many skin conditions, such as melanoma, vary in water content compared to healthy tissue. To better understand results which could indicate a skin condition in a patient I am investigating the usual variation in measurements between people, and what factors affect these results.

Teaching

I am currently demonstrating first year labs.

Conferences

2019 1-6 September, IRMMW-THz Conference, Paris, France

Poster: 'In Vivo THz Measurements of Human Skin: Investigating the Dependence on Ethnicity and Arm Dominance'

Position: PhD Student

Start Date: October 2018

Supervisor: Emma MacPherson

Contact Details:

Office: P4.31
Lab: P4.23
E-Mail: x.barker@warwick.ac.uk
Address: Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.