David Watts

Overview

Head of Research Theme: Adhesive Biomaterials & Biomechanics.

Biography

I graduated in Chemistry and Physics, at the University of Wales, and completed a PhD in Chemical Physics with Prof. Graham Williams. Following two years as a 6th Form Science Teacher in Cheshire, I returned to research in Chemistry and Materials Science at the University of Manchester with Sir Geoffrey Allen FRS.

Through research into dielectric spectroscopy of polymers, I became a co-discoverer of the Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts [KWW] stretched-exponential function for modeling molecular-relaxation processes in condensed media. These papers have attracted more than 4,000 citations.

I was appointed to a lectureship in Biomaterials Science within the School of Dentistry and subsequently promoted to S/L (1983), Reader (1992) and Professor (2000). During this period I also gained teaching experience with the Open University, Manchester Metropolitan University and NorthWestern University, Chicago. I was a co-founder of a new B.Sc. degree course in_Biomedical Materials_ in the Manchester School of Materials.

I am concurrently Adjunct Research Professor in Biomaterials and Biomechanics, at Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA, and an Honorary faculty Member of the Center for Mechanics of Biological Materials, University of Padova. www.cmbm.unipd.it

I have a major commitment to Postgraduate Education and Research, through leading a group of Biomaterials researchers including _circa _10 PhD candidates. 60+ PhDs and 50+ Masters degrees have been successfully supervised personally, to date.

I sustain a wide-ranging basic research activity in biomaterials for dentistry and orthopaedics and am a member of the Photon Science Institute. In 2003 I received the  IADR Distinguished Scientist  [Wilmer Souder]  Award  for research in dental biomaterials. In 2010 I received the  Humboldt Research Award  of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation , Germany - a lifetime research achievement award - and in 2011 the  President''s Prize  of the  UK Society for Biomaterials.

Since 1998 I have been Editor-in-Chief of Dental Materials [Elsevier], now one of the highest impact-factor research journals in dentistry and materials science. My other interests include:

• Biblical languages & literature. Christian Theology
• History, Philosophy & Theology of Science
• Modern European literature. Adventure travel
• Mountain photography and geology. Alpine mountaineering; rock & ice climbing; [Elected Member of the Alpine Club, London & the Swiss Alpine Club]