Dr Mario Giardini has a background in electronic engineering, photonics and computer science. He was previously a research scientist at the former Italian National Institute for Physics of Matter, then director of research and development for a leading European microscope manufacturer. Mario is currently a reader at the department of biomedical engineering at the University of Strathclyde where he develops optical and photonic technologies, devices and instruments for global healthcare, for field and point-of-care medicine and for medical robotics.