Tom Stead

Dr Tom Stead is a Research Associate with the Made Smarter Innovation: Centre for People Led Digitalisation.

Tom holds a PhD in Design from Brunel University London, funded by the UK Clinical Research Collaboration and the Medical Research Council. The purpose of this work was to identify barriers to the development of self-use molecular diagnostic devices at the early research and development stages. The consortium project was awarded a Proof of Concept Project Award at the QMUL Engagement and Enterprise Awards, the Rosalind Franklin appathon award and a Royal Society Public Health Innovation Award.

Tom also holds an MSc in Smart Design, with his MSc Project exhibited at the UK Trade and Investment Advances in Assistive Technologies Summit, and a BSc in Product Design, both from Nottingham Trent University.

Tom has industry experience of working as a design engineer, is named inventor on two patents and has worked as a research associate at Nottingham Trent University and University College London.

Tom brings a wealth of expertise in design processes, design engineering and qualitative design research methods to the People Led Digitalisation Research Centre. His research interests include digitalisation, systems thinking, service design, human computer interaction, action research methods and design requirements definition.

As a part of the People Led Digitalisation research team, Tom will be applying participatory action research methods to digitalisation in the automotive and transport sectors.