Our Team

Julian is one of the core developers of the OpenFlexure Microscope, and has also developed sophisticated and automated open source workflows for hardware development and documentation. Julian has worked closely with manufacturing partners in Africa during the development of the OpenFlexure Microscope, and is also well-connected within the global open source hardware movement. He was previously on the board of the Open Science Hardware Foundation (formerly GOSH Inc). Julian brings experience of developing and building hardware in diverse environments and has the technical knowledge of the OpenFlexure Microscope to push our first project forward.

Joe is a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the University of Glasgow. He supports the Trust by working with doctors to ensure the microscope performs effectively in real-world settings. Joe is one of the core developers of the OpenFlexure Microscope; his work to automate malaria diagnosis using the microscope earned him his PhD in 2023. He has supported deployments in Tanzania, Brazil, and Rwanda, helping build local capacity to use and adapt the technology. Alongside his research, Joe promotes the OpenFlexure Project through conferences and collaborations, including presenting at the College of American Pathologists Foundation House of Delegates Meeting.

Beth is a PhD student at the University of Strathclyde with five years of leadership experience in software quality and development operations. An award-winning software engineer, she has served on national boards and committees for the British Computer Society and the Institution of Engineering and Technology, and as a trustee for Avon Scouts. Her engineering achievements have been recognised by the IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards, Computer Weekly’s Women in Technology Awards, and the Everywoman in Technology Awards. At the Humanitarian Technology Trust, Beth supports operational delivery and communications, ensuring rigorous code quality, clear engagement, and reliable delivery of open-source tools such as the OpenFlexure Microscope.

William is a Professor at the University of Bath, where he designs, fabricates, and studies Photonic Crystal Fibres. His expertise lies in developing new lasers and light sources, with applications ranging from fundamental metrology and quantum information to medical and life sciences imaging. He is a core developer of the OpenFlexure Microscope, contributing to hardware design to improve performance and ease of building, and leading research projects that explore custom features and imaging modes. William is also an active presence on the OpenFlexure community forum, where he welcomes and supports new contributors.

Richard is a Royal Society University Research Fellow and proleptic Reader in Optics at the University of Glasgow, where his research focuses on instrumentation, particularly microscopy and automation. He is a core developer of the OpenFlexure Microscope and the original founder of the OpenFlexure Project. Richard also leads the development of LabThings, the software framework that powers the OpenFlexure Microscope, and continues to advance the project through his research and collaborations.

Adrian is the originator of the worldwide RepRap Project – a project that created humanity’s first general purpose self-replicating manufacturing machine. The RepRap is one of the most successful open source hardware projects ever. It formed the foundation for the low-cost 3D printer revolution, enabling distributed collaborative manufacturing. In 2019, he received an MBE for services to 3D printing. As a former lecturer at the University of Bath, Adrian brings experience of enabling an academic open source technology project to flourish in the hands of independent manufacturers.

Andrew is chair and co-founder of the Internet of Production. Previously, Andrew served as an Innovation Advisor for international disaster relief charity Field Ready, and was the CEO and co-founder of Engineers Without Borders UK. He was also a Shuttleworth fellow, focusing on open approaches to Massive Small Manufacturing – the concept of complementing innovative local manufacturing with traditional global manufacturing. Andrew brings experience of technology and innovation within the international development sector, and experience of scaling new charitable organisations with a global impact.

Anna is the Chief Catalyst at Manufacturing Change, a company focused on making manufacturing circular, local and flexible. Anna is the Co-Founder and former Director of Kumasi Hive, a makerspace and innovation hub in Ghana that provided support for rapidly prototyping local innovations, and promoted local entrepreneurship. Prior to this, she was a global supply chain consultant for pharmaceutical and high-tech industry, specialising in simulation modelling and scenario planning. Anna brings experience of developing sustainable business models for manufacturing enterprises in the Global South.