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I'M
Will
Deacon.
PHYSICIST + INSTRUMENT INNOVATOR
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01 Skill Set
MICROSCOPY
75%
AUTOMATION
70%
OPTICS
95%
MICROFLUIDICS
85%
DATA ANALYTICS
80%
ELECTRONICS
85%
Automation | Optics | Microfluidics | Electronics.
I find solutions to complex physical challenges through instrumentation.
My expertise in automation, optics, microfluidics, and electronics enables me to take a holistic view of an instrument's operation, allowing me to drive technical teams to find the most elegant solutions.
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02 PUBLICATIONS
MY LATEST WORK AND PUBLICATIONS SEE MORE >
Over the last decade, I've had the opportunity to work on some exciting and truly ground-breaking projects: from making non-magnetic materials magnetic at the University of Leeds, Stoner Labs, to counting single photons with picosecond resolution in Prof. Jeremy Baumberg's Nanophononics Centre at the University of Cambridge, and most recently hugely parallelised single-cell manipulation at Lightcast Discovery where are creating an instrument with the potential to revolutionise cell biology.
03 Experience
2023 - to date
System Technical Lead
Lightcast Discovery
Provide technical support to heads and directors/ executives to manage technical risks. Offer direct support to technical teams across software and integration, microfluidic products, manufacturing, and biology.
2020-2023
Software + Hardware Interfaces Leader
Lightcast Discovery
In this role, I was responsible for facilitating technical activities between software and hardware teams. Allowing us to rapidly automate and control a complex instrument..
2019-2020
Scientist [Physicist]
Lightcast Discovery
Developed a range of optical, electronic, and algorithmic technologies for the manipulation of single cells.
Mar- Nov 2019
Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Cambridge
Developed a signal processing technique utilising FPGAs to perform picosecond timestamping. This technique allowed for the detection of single photon per second signals that are otherwise undetectable with standard technologies.
2014-2019
PhD Candidate
University of Cambridge
Designed, developed, and built an ultrafast optical system for interogating vibrations in nanostructures and few-molecules systems over the picosecond timescale.
2013- 2014
MPhys Researcher
University of Leeds
Utilised hybridisation to create magnetic materials from non-magnetic Buckminster fullerenes and transition metals.
2012-2014
Research Associate
University of Leeds
Worked on a drug-delivery system for cancer, where microbubbles laden with hydrophobic anti-cancer drugs could selectively target tumors using ultrasound.