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Biography
Electronic engineer and computer scientist by education, Professor Mario Ettore Giardini has occupied positions of researcher on photonics-based biomedical technologies at the former National Institute for Physics of Matter (INFM) in Italy, of Head of Research and Development for a leading European microscope manufacturer and, after returning to academia in the UK, initially at the universities of St Andrews and Strathclyde, has taken up in 2025 a position of Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Dundee.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (FIPEM), UK, of the Royal Society of Biology (FRSB), UK, and is a member of ISOMERISM, the European expert liaison programme of the Italian Telemedicine Society.
Research
He designs biomedical instruments on the frontier between optics, electronics, and medicine. His activity addresses clinical equipment for diagnostics in the field and in the community, medical equipment for challenging environments, and digital healthcare, pursued on a global scale, to empower citizens to manage and improve health, live better lives, and to provide a pathway to healthcare equity and sustainability.
Recent activity touches upon eye imaging (retina and anterior segment), functional vision and hearing diagnostics, imaging optics and image analysis, telemedicine, and digital medicine, with exploratory work in other disciplines of interest to medical interventions in the community. His experience spans instruments, sensors, systems, and software. He actively develops the full pipeline from initial research to industrial production and end-user impact. Devices derived from his activity are available to patients worldwide.
Committees
Professor Giardini chairs the Artificial Intelligence Committee of the Italian Telemedicine Society – SIT, and is a member of Technical Committee 2 - Photonics of the International Measurement Confederation - IMEKO. He is member of the R&D Committee and of the Small Grants Panel of NHS Forth Valley, UK
Consultancy
Sole or co-inventor in numerous patents, Professor Giardini supports partners from industry, healthcare, and the broader third sector, in the development and pre-clinical validation of biomedical technology, including aspects on the boundary between development and commercialisation, so that it can reach end users and develop impact. Areas of partnership have included instrumentation for ophthalmology, functional vision testing, vision rehabilitation, microscopy, and devices for pneumology including, when required, the related production infrastructure for manufacture at scale.
Supervision and collaboration
Please contact Professor Giardini for opportunities for research collaboration, doctoral projects, and industrial support, on any of the areas of interest above.
Teaching
Professor Giardini's teaching is research-informed and covers topics within electronics, optics, and biomedical instrumentation. His track record comprises undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Higher Education institutions in the broader disciplinary areas of engineering, physics, and medical technology, professional training in general microscopy, and monographic academic and professional lectures on selected research-related topics, such as retinal imaging.
He currently delivers institutional modules on biomedical technology, supervises Masters and doctoral projects, and serves as examiner internationally. He is member of the advisory panel for the Information and Communication Technology doctorates at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy. He is registered Fellow of Advance HE (FHEA), the former UK Higher Education Academy.