Meet the team

Simon Fielden

Director, HDTI
As HDTI Director, Simon is responsible for driving HDTI forward setting the strategic direction and, ensuring that it delivers across teaching, applied research and SME support activities. ...

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Simon Fielden

Director, HDTI

Following a degree in Engineering from Bath University and an MSc in Bioengineering from Strathclyde University, Simon joined British Steel as a research officer. In 1987 Simon joined the NHS as a clinical scientist, firstly in the Northern Regional Medical Physics Department and then in 1990 the West Midlands Rehabilitation Centre, based in Selly Oak, Birmingham.

Simon was responsible for developing and managing a range of assistive technology based services in the West Midlands Rehabilitation Centre. Simon also led the Birmingham Single Assessment Process project for Older people from 2003 until 2005.

Simon joined the HDTI in December 2006. As HDTI Director, Simon is responsible for driving HDTI forward setting the strategic direction and, ensuring that it delivers across teaching, applied research and SME support activities.

Guy Smallman

Commercial Development Director
As Commercial Development Director, Guy is responsible for the strategic direction and management of the commercial activity of HDTI, specifically relating to consultancy and applied research activity. ...

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Guy Smallman

Commercial Development Director

Guy joined HDTI in October 2007 from MidTECH, the NHS Innovation Hub for the West Midlands region, where, as Business Development Manager, he was responsible for the identification, management and commercial exploitation of intellectual property generated by approximately 50 NHS trusts across the region. He also managed MidTECH's participation in the AWM Medical Technologies Cluster Programme 2006-08. His previous career was in IT and the oil industry in a variety of roles including international sales & marketing and corporate development.

As Commercial Development Director, Guy is responsible for the strategic direction and management of the commercial activity of HDTI, specifically relating to consultancy and applied research activity. This activity includes new product innovation, design and usability consultancy, product testing and evaluation and general business support.

Keir Haines

Industrial Product Designer
As Industrial Product Designer, Keir is an important member of the design team responsible for the delivery of commercial design projects for entrepreneurs, SMEs and HDTI's larger commercial clients. ...

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Keir Haines

Industrial Product Designer

Upon graduating from Loughborough University in 2005 with a BSc in Industrial Design and Technology, Keir joined Bombardier Transportation in Derby where he undertook a graduate scheme. At Bombardier he worked in all areas of the business but specialised in Industrial Design for UK rail refurbishment projects. He was involved with many aspects of vehicle design, including vehicle modifications to improve disabled access to meet Disability Discrimination Act and Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations on key projects for London Underground, First Group and Stagecoach.

His keen interest in industrial design, new product development and improving the wellbeing of individuals through good design lead him to his current role within the HDTI.

Keir joined the HDTI in October 2007. As Industrial Product Designer, Keir is an important member of the design team responsible for the delivery of commercial design projects for entrepreneurs, SMEs and HDTI's larger commercial clients. This includes design research, concept design, design development, modelling, visualisation, prototyping and general design advice.

Paul Magee

Senior Product Designer
Paul's role at HDTI includes provision of tutorial support to third year undergraduate students at Coventry University's renowned School of Art and Design. His work also includes a recent collaboration with IKEA. ...

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Paul Magee

Senior Product Designer

Having worked professionally since 2001 in a variety of design disciplines and having a portfolio that includes domestic products, exhibitions, cars, footwear, infant products and healthcare, Paul leads HDTI’s product design client work and manages the in-house design team.

Clients quickly learn that Paul has a passion for good design. "It is a matter of providing creative solutions to frequently subtle problems and the translation of an innovative concept into a form that can be readily understood. It is very exciting to be able to do this in such an important and rapidly growing sector”.

Paul joined HDTI in July 2007, having been involved with Coventry University design projects since 2004. He graduated from Birmingham Institute of Art & Design at the University of Central England with a BA (Hons) and MA in Industrial Design.

A recent extension to Paul's role at HDTI is his provision of tutorial support to third year undergraduate students studying Product & Industrial Design at Coventry University's renowned School of Art and Design. His work also includes a recent collaboration with IKEA.

Nikki Holliday

Senior Research Assistant
As Senior Research Assistant at HDTI, Nikki is responsible for conducting usability studies of new and emerging assistive technology. Her work ranges from participant recruitment through to report write-up. ...

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Nikki Holliday

Senior Research Assistant

Nikki joined HDTI in May 2009 as a Research Assistant. Nikki completed a BSc (Hons) in Psychology at the University of Leeds in 2005, where her dissertation was an analysis of pro-anorexia website forums to ascertain patients’ views of their diagnosis. This followed her interest in patient and end-user viewpoints and the role technology has to play in health. After completing her BSc, Nikki worked in human resources, whilst studying part-time for a Post Graduate Certificate in Social Science Research Methods.

Alongside her paid work and studies, Nikki has held various voluntary posts working with older and disabled people, mainly in the areas of health advocacy and encouraging people to become involved in their communities.

As Senior Research Assistant at HDTI, Nikki is responsible for conducting usability studies of new and emerging assistive technology products with her work ranging from participant recruitment through to report write-up.

As part of her continuing professional development, Nikki is also studying part time for a Masters degree in Assistive Technology at Coventry University with the aim of strengthening her knowledge and understanding of a wide range of assistive technologies and the policies and practices which inform them.

Rebecca Hopkins

Project Officer
Rebecca's responsibilities include the HDTI website, the HDTI annual attendance at Naidex, overseeing the annual RAatE conference and tenancy liaison in the new HDTI building. ...

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Rebecca Hopkins

Project Officer

Rebecca's interest in people's access to health care and their experience of health related issues began while working as a volunteer after school at the former Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry and later in paid employment in the Dermatology Outpatients Clinic. Rebecca graduated from the University of Sheffield with a BA (Hons) in Economic Geography choosing, for her final year dissertation, The take-up rate of the health service in Coventry and Sheffield; does a higher usage reflect areas of greater social need?

On completion of her degree, Rebecca worked jointly for Coventry City Council and Coventry Primary Care Trust to set up a new Sure Start project in Coventry North, a government initiative which aims to give children under four years of age the very best start in life.

Since then Rebecca has worked on a diverse range of projects in both the public and private sectors with eight years of experience in project administration and financial control. Rebecca has been at the HDTI since its inception early in 2007 and has a wide array of responsibilities, including the HDTI website, the HDTI annual attendance at Naidex, overseeing the annual RAatE conference and tenancy liaison in the new HDTI building.

Sharon Simkiss

Project Manager
Sharon's role as HDTI Project Manager combines her extensive experience of working with businesses and university academics with her personal awareness of the challenges faced by the ageing and disabled population. ...

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Sharon Simkiss

Project Manager

Sharon joined the HDTI team in September 2009 as Project Manager for the Institute’s usability offering, bringing with her over 15 years experience of working in a variety of commercial operations and project management roles in both further and higher education.

Having graduated with a degree in Social Studies, Sharon originally trained as a manager within the retail sector, later moving into further education, focussing on business development activity and heading up a number of projects to support SME development. After gaining her Diploma in Management, she joined Coventry University twelve years ago, spending eight of these years working in a variety of management positions supporting the development of Coventry University Technology Park and its tenants.

Sharon's role as HDTI Project Manager combines her extensive experience of working with businesses and university academics with her personal awareness of the challenges faced by the ageing and disabled population in trying to maintain their independence.

At HDTI, Sharon manages a variety of commercial and public funded projects which focus on evaluating the usability and/or functionality of products being developed for use within the community healthcare market. This work involves engaging end users and/or health care professionals in a range of tailored usability studies in order to independently inform a product’s future design, development and marketability.

Malcolm Fisk

Senior Research Fellow
Malcolm is a Senior Research Fellow with primary responsibility for the European Commission funded TeleSCoPE project. The project, working with twelve partners in six other countries, is developing a European Code of Practice for Telehealth Services. ...

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Malcolm Fisk

Senior Research Fellow

Malcolm joined HDTI in October 2010 as Senior Research Fellow with primary responsibility for the European Commission funded TeleSCoPE project. The project, working with twelve partners in six other countries, is developing a European Code of Practice for Telehealth Services. The Code will relate to services that utilise technologies in fields from lifestyle and vital signs monitoring to medication compliance, and is being launched in 2013.

Well known in the field of telecare because of his active membership of and role, to 2010, as Chair of the Telecare Services Association, Malcolm brings specific expertise that is manifested in his range of publications and his regular presentations. Notable among the former is his seminal book ‘Social Alarms to Telecare’ (Policy Press) and his ‘Guide to Personal Interviews and Focus Groups with Older People’ (Stirling University). Notable among the latter are his keynote presentations on ‘European Developments in Telehealth’ at the international Global Telehealth and Medetel Conferences respectively in Perth and Luxembourg last year. Malcolm also served until 2009 as Chair of the National Partnership Forum for Older People in Wales, a Welsh Assembly Government appointment. Such activities reflect his experience and knowledge of issues from both service user and provider perspectives. They re-affirm the primary concerns for service quality and user empowerment that are at the core of HDTI’s work.

Following an early career in housing and social care (within local government), Malcolm has held senior positions at Cardiff University and in the private sector. The latter includes his company, Insight Social Research Ltd, where he is engaged in wider ranging work relating to housing, care technologies and community development.

Dr Gillian Ward

Principal Lecturer in Assistive Technology
Gill is currently leading a technology home trial and a regional evaluation of the use of fall detectors. She is part of a successful bid to develop a consumer led model for the provision of assisted living products and provides academic leadership on usability studies. ...

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Dr Gillian Ward

Principal Lecturer in Assistive Technology

Dr Gillian Ward is an occupational therapist and a principal lecturer in assistive technology in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at Coventry University. She has a keen interest in the use of assistive technology to support older people and those with long term conditions.

Gill joined HDTI on a part time secondment in 2007 and has been the principal investigator on several studies; she is currently leading a technology home trial and a regional evaluation of the use of fall detectors and is part of a successful HDTI bid to develop a consumer led model for the provision of assisted living products funded through the Technology Strategy Board. She also provides academic leadership, governance and ethical advice on usability studies for assistive technology products.

Gill joined Coventry University in 1998 as a senior lecturer on the occupational therapy undergraduate programme and extended this role to the development of new courses in the field of assistive technology, supported through HDTI. She has been involved in the development of on-line and blended learning courses at different levels including the MSc in Assistive Technology. Gill is also the Course Director for the new Foundation Degree in Assistive Technology.

After graduating as an occupational therapist and gaining clinical experience in orthopaedics and trauma, Gill completed an MSc in Research in Remedial & Caring Practice at Loughborough University in 1993. She went on to complete her PhD as a Research Associate in Leicester University's Department of Orthopaedics on functional outcomes following hip fracture in older people in 1999. From 2005-2009 she was the research and development lead for the College of Occupational Therapists' Specialist Section for Older People.

Dawn Pattison

Project Assistant
Dawn is primarily responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Institute – organising project documentation in line with University and funding body regulations and monitoring project finances. ...

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Dawn Pattison

Project Assistant

Dawn joined the Health Design & Technology Institute in March 2009 as Project Assistant after working for a short time within the University’s Faculty of Engineering & Computing.

Dawn has previously worked for a number of professional bodies in the housing and surveying industries where her role included the implementation of improvements to administration processes and overseeing the running of distance learning courses, professional examinations and member based qualification schemes.

Alongside her employment, Dawn has enrolled on a number of academic courses through the Open University and local colleges to further her academic studies and in 2007 she completed a HNC in Forensic Science & Law, gaining a Distinction.

Dawn brings nine years of high level administrative and customer service experience with her to HDTI. In the role of Project Assistant, she is primarily responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Institute – organising project documentation in line with University and funding body regulations and monitoring project finances. In addition to this, Dawn assists in the running of the project office in conjunction with the Institute’s Project Officer, Rebecca Hopkins.

Louise Prothero

Research Assistant
As Research Assistant at HDTI, Louise carries out usability studies of innovative assistive technology products. She has responsibility for participant recruitment, research analysis and report publication. ...

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Louise Prothero

Research Assistant

Louise joined the HDTI as a Research Assistant in February this year after completing a Masters in Health Psychology at City University, London. Louise’s main areas of interest include the self-management of chronic health conditions, public health promotion, and personality and illness. Previous research projects include ‘Does Exercise Reduce Stress in Type-D personality?’ and ‘Personality and Self-Regulatory Focus as indicators of Well-being (as indicated by Satisfaction with Life and Depression)’.

Louise has previously supported research projects at The University of Essex, where she completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology, and for The Open University.

Prior to working at HDTI, Louise had also worked voluntarily for The Iceni Project and The Town and Bridge Project, both based in Ipswich. The Iceni Project is a charity which believes and practices a personalised and holistic approach to the treatment of drug dependency. Louise assisted with the structured programmes which try to address the physical and psychological dependency associated with drug use. The Town and Bridge project’s aim is to improve the health and emotional well-being of people aged 45 to 74 years living in Ipswich through organized lunch clubs and physical activity sessions. Louise assisted with the formal evaluation of this project by conducting semi-structured interviews with members in order to ask their opinion of the initiative.

As Research Assistant at HDTI, Louise carries out usability studies of innovative assistive technology products with responsibility for participant recruitment, research analysis and report publication.

Louise has completed a certificate in Motivational Interviewing and plans to study for a qualification in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in the future as part of her continuing professional development.

Dina Shah

Business Development Manager
Dina works with businesses, health and social care providers, end users, healthcare practitioners and researchers to build business facing collaborative research and development projects relating to the community healthcare sector. ...

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Dina Shah

Business Development Manager

Dina is the business development manager for HDTI and has a principal focus on collaborative research and development within the assistive technology sector.

Dina joined HDTI in August 2010 and has been working with businesses, health and social care providers, end users, healthcare practitioners and researchers to build business facing collaborative research and development projects relating to the community healthcare sector. Her portfolio of projects includes the cultivation of new business models, the assessment and understanding of assisted living products and services, and the development of education and learning provision. She is currently supporting the project management of the Technology Strategy Board funded CO-MODAL project which is developing consumer led business models for assisted living products and services.

Dina started at Coventry University in 2007 as a business development manager for the Faculty of Business, Environment and Society. Prior to that, she spent ten years working at E.ON UK and Air Products in various engineering, marketing, strategic and sales positions. Whilst working for Air Products, she was engaged in a joint venture in India working with hydrogen fuel technologies. Dina has formerly run her own business which supported small and medium sized enterprises with new innovations to secure venture capital investments for growth.

Dina graduated from Loughborough University in 1996 with a Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering. In 2004, she received a Master of Business Administration from Australian Graduate School of Management in Sydney. She was formerly a Governor at the North Warwickshire and Hinckley College.

Christine Broughan

Co-Director of the Ageing Society Grand Challenge Initiative
Christine has a key role in social inclusion research in the fields of ageing, diversity and wellbeing. Recently she has been working on a National Teaching Fellowship project investigating Disparities in Student Attainment in Higher Education. ...

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Christine Broughan

Co-Director of the Ageing Society Grand Challenge Initiative

Christine joined Coventry University in 1998 and is Co-Director of the Ageing Society Grand Challenge Initiative and a Co-Director of the Workplace Wellbeing Applied Research Group. She is also Director of CUReS (Coventry University’s Research Solutions) which is a relatively new concept that engages both staff and students in a dynamic research environment.

Christine’s background is in Social Psychology and she is still involved in teaching at the University of Oxford and the Open University. Christine’s passion is multi-disciplinary, collaborative and cross-boundary working; a key topic of her MBA.

Christine has a key role in social inclusion research in the fields of ageing, diversity and wellbeing. Recently she has been working on a National Teaching Fellowship project investigating Disparities in Student Attainment in Higher Education and an EU Daphne project to raise awareness of domestic violence. She has also been working on two NHS funded projects aimed at improving health and wellbeing in Coventry and Warwickshire. In addition to this, Christine currently supervises five PhD students.

Christine works as a consultant with international organisations to develop models of inclusive teaching and learning. Recently she has edited and written books and chapters on inclusive teaching and assessment.

Roberts Roze

Senior Project Manager
Roberts main areas of activity and interest are innovation and business support, particularly in the fields of eHealth and ICT initiatives. Currently, Roberts manages two HDTI applied research projects: TeleSCoPE and Co-Modal. ...

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Roberts Roze

Senior Project Manager

Roberts has extensive experience of working with national and international funding bodies supporting research and technological development. He was engaged in the management of the first Latvian business incubator for technology orientated companies and, in this capacity, was associated with the International Association of Science Parks (IASP) and the Baltic Association of Science and Technology Parks and Innovation Centres (BASTIC).

Since 2004, Roberts has been working in the UK and has been engaged in the National Contact Point network, during which time he was national contact point for the Research and Innovation Programme. He was also the principal point of contact and contract manager for the West Midlands FP6 Preparatory Research Scheme which helped to attract 15 high value FP6 projects to the region. Roberts coordinated specific support activity and supported several European partners with their bids.

Roberts joined Coventry University in 2006 as Senior Project Manager. His main areas of activity and interest are innovation and business support, particularly in the fields of eHealth and ICT initiatives. Currently, Roberts manages two HDTI applied research projects: TeleSCoPE and Co-Modal.

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03/02/2012 09:41