Lay summary
Tissue ischaemia, indicative of a suboptimal blood supply, is the bane of surgery. Without an adequate blood supply, tissues die and surgical joins break down and leak, resulting in postoperative complications with associated significant health and economic costs. I will combine my expertise in developing photonic tools with the surgical expertise of my co-investigators to deliver a photonic device that will enable surgeons to identify and remove mm-regions of any oxygen-starved tissue during surgery. This will address a significant healthcare issue that is predicted to increase in the future. This fellowship will enable me to build on my research and expertise in applying spectroscopic methods for non-invasive analysis of tissue. It will also help me achieve my career objective of significantly contributing to better health outcomes by developing photonic devices as medical diagnostic tools, and thus contributing to New Zealand becoming a world-leading hub for innovative technologies with significant growth to the economy.