Overview
William Skinner completed his PhD at the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Intelligent Sensing and Measurement (CDT-ISM) at the University of Edinburgh in 2022. As part of his PhD, he developed surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates for optical pH sensing in the cellular microenvironment of 2D and 3D cystic fibrosis disease models. These substrate included SERS-active electrospun nanofibre meshes and self-assembled gold nanoparticle constructs on polymer microparticles. Through successful interdisciplinary collaborations, he applied SERS sensors to monitor pH in patient-derived 2D respiratory epithelium cultures and 3D airway organoids to explore the role airway surface pH plays in the pathophysiology of cystic fibrosis. William’s research interests include the application of Raman spectroscopy to answer biological questions, in vitro organoid disease models, and nanomaterials for disease diagnosis and treatment.
Currently, as part of the Raman Nanotheranostics (RaNT) project, William's research focuses on the application of nanoconstructs for the detection and treatment of cancers using Deep Raman spectrsocopy and photothermal therapy.
