Three members of the University of Kent’s Applied Optics Group (AOG) — Dr Mike Hughes, Dr Manuel Marques, and Dr Radu-Florin Stancu — took part in the 2025 edition of the Sixth Form Conference, an outreach event aimed at inspiring the next generation of scientists.
Dr Hughes, Dr Marques, and Dr Stancu jointly organised and led a dedicated workshop titled “Physics and Optics in Medicine”, which was delivered to enthusiastic pupils from The Archbishop’s School and Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys.
The workshop explored how physics — and optics in particular — play a critical role in advancing modern medical science. Students learned about the unique advantages of optics, such as high sensitivity, high resolution, and its non-invasive nature, making it ideal for a range of medical applications.
Alongside a dynamic and informative presentation, the workshop featured a hands-on session with interactive demonstrations, including:
- A Michelson interferometer illuminated with a green laser, with its signal output connected to a speaker to allow the interference signal to be heard, thanks to a setup by Dr Marques.
- A portable Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) system and a fibre bundle fluorescence micro-endoscope system, both developed by Dr Hughes, which showcased cutting-edge techniques in medical imaging.
Pupils engaged actively with the demonstrations, asked insightful questions, and had the chance to discuss real-world research with academic scientists. It was a great opportunity to showcase the real-life impact of physics and optics in solving biomedical challenges.
We thank the organisers of the conference for the opportunity to contribute, and look forward to inspiring more future scientists in events to come!
The conference, which brought together schools from across the region, is featured in more detail here on the SMSAS blog.
Photo credit: Christopher Wenham – Digital Content Producer.
