Dr Rebecca Grant

MEng, PhD

Pronouns: She/her
  • Lecturer in Biometrology

Background

Rebecca graduated with a 1st class MEng degree in Product Design Engineering from Loughborough University (2010-2015). During this time, she also completed a Diploma of Industrial Studies at Bentley Motors Ltd (2012-2013), within manufacturing departments and chaired Loughborough University's Women’s Engineering Society, setting up the first careers fair for female engineers in the UK.

Rebecca completed a PhD at Loughborough University as part of the Centre for Doctoral Training in Regenerative Medicine (2015-2019). Her PhD was sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline and LGC Group, with research into biometrology and human factors within healthcare. Her thesis covers the following topic: ‘Quantifying biometrology operator data analysis subjectivity within Flow Cytometry using measurement uncertainty principles’. As part of her doctoral studies, she completed a secondment at MIT, to identify translational issues in other diagnostic areas of healthcare measurement, considering human factor implications.

Rebecca completed a short Research Associate position within the Centre for SMART, working with food manufacturers to develop a resource dashboard for smart monitoring of food waste (2019-2020)

In 2020 Rebecca started as a Lecturer in biometrology at the Wolfson School, growing this theme for her research and supporting teaching in design and measurement.

Qualifications

  • Product Design Engineering MEng (Hons, 1st Class), Loughborough University, 2010-2015
  • Diploma in Industrial Studies, 2015
  • PhD in Biometrology within the Centre for Doctoral Training in Regenerative Medicine, Loughborough University, 2015-2019

Key awards

  • IMechE Visionary Postgraduate Research Scholar 2015-2019 
  • IMechE ’35 under 35’ rising star 2019 

Main research interests

  • Biometrology & healthcare measurement
  • Biometrics & anthropometry
  • Female anthropometry
  • Measurement uncertainty
  • Human factors
  • Human-technology interfaces & usability

Grants and contracts

  • 2021-2025 Made Smarter Centre for People-Led Digitalisation; Co-Investigator, specialising in using eye-tracking to define task measurement uncertainty.
    - PhD student: Using eye-tracking to develop a real-time measurement uncertainty indication, to improve knowledge of human variance in processes (Principal Investigator)
    - PhD student: Developing maturity models to support the integration of digital tools for Small-Medium Enterprises (Principal Investigator)
    - PhD student: Developing a model of task complexity and cognitive workload using biometrics.
  • 2022-2023 Royal Academy of Engineering Inclusive Engineering Excellence Hub; Co-Investigator, specialising in developing an ‘Engineering Empathy’ workshop to increase empathy of design engineering students.
  • 2021-2024 adidas innovation funding
    - PhD student: Developing novel measurement techniques to measure breast deformation during exercise, to improve female engagement in sport.

Current teaching responsibilities

  • WSA401: Product Design (Ergonomics & Visualisation); Module Leader 
  • WSC401: Design Methods and Communication; Lecturer for Research Design Methods 
  • WSD503: Total Product Design; Group Project Supervisor 
  • WSP503: Product Design Engineering in Sport; Lecturer for Research Design Methods 

Current administrative responsibilities

  • Industrial Placement Visiting Tutor 
  • Product Design Engineering Personal Tutor 
  • Wolfson School Athena Swan Panel Member 
  • Wolfson School Design Engineering Teaching Group Convener 

External collaborators (current)

  • MicrofluidX 
  • PING 
  • Adidas 
  • Mettle Design Studio 
  • Renishaw 
  • Unilever 
  • Politecnico di Torino 
  • Veranex (Worrell) 

External collaborators (recent)

  • LGC, National Measurement Institute 
  • GlaxoSmithKline 
  • MIT