On 8th July 2025, three members of the Applied Optics Group—Prof Adrian Podoleanu, Dr Manuel Marques, and Dr Radu-Florin Stancu—travelled to London to attend the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine Awards Evening at King’s College London.
Although Dr Mike Hughes, also part of the team, was unable to attend, all four researchers were part of the Revitalise Team, which had been nominated for a Collaborative Research Excellence Award in the Research category.
The Revitalise project (“Sensorised Micro-Surgical Robot For Safe Regenerative Retinal Therapy Delivery”), coordinated by Prof Christos Bergeles (KCL), brings together a multidisciplinary team spanning optics, robotics, clinical science, and engineering. The AOG team contributed through the development of ultra-thin endoscopic sensing devices designed for integration into surgical robots. These devices enable precise imaging and guidance during delicate retinal procedures. A recent publication detailing this work can be found here in Applied Optics.
Although the team didn’t take home the award, the evening was a great opportunity to celebrate the nomination and network with collaborators and fellow researchers across the life sciences and medicine. It also highlighted the power of cross-institutional collaboration, with the Revitalise team being praised for setting “a new benchmark for collaborative ‘team science’ at King’s and beyond.”
We extend our thanks to the organisers at King’s College London and to our colleagues on the Revitalise project for their ongoing collaboration and shared vision.