Executive Committee

Chaired by Prof. Robert Richardson, the Executive Committee includes academic representatives from the University of Leeds, Heriot-Watt University, Imperial College London and the University of Birmingham, and three elected representatives from the Research Technician community. The Committee meets monthly to co-ordinate the Network’s activities.

UK RAS STEPS Co-director

Robert Richardson is Professor of Robotics in the School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds. Between 2019 and 2023 he was Executive Chair of the UK-RAS network. As Innovation Director for University of Leeds spin out company, Acuity robotics, he is working towards real world impact in civil inspection tasks. His research interests cover a broad range of applied robotics including robotics for civil infrastructure inspection and repair, making smart bodies for smart robots, and robotics for 3D printing applications. His robotic platforms operate in the air, on the ground, in the water and underground. In 2011 he led an international team to develop and deploy robots into the Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt, that discovered writing hidden for 4000 years. In 2016 he developed and deployed autonomous surface water survey robots to map glacial melt lakes in Nepal, doubling the known mapping data of these lakes. In 2018 he developed the world’s first drone capable of printing asphalt to repair roads. In 2020 he developed robotic systems for autonomous COVID disinfection trialled in an UK airport and city centre.

UK RAS STEPS Co-director

Briony Thomas is an Associate Professor at the University of Leeds. She has held key leadership roles focused on advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and research culture in engineering. An award-winning research impact champion, Briony specialises in collaborative arts-science initiatives. In 2023 she received a prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering Ingenious Award for public engagement, leading an engineering-dance collaboration with Northern Ballet. Briony is Chair of Leeds33, the city’s Cultural Education Partnership. Bringing together over 100 organisations, she leads sustainable and strategic approaches to creative learning for children and young people across Leeds.

UK RAS STEPS Co-lead

Salzitsa Anastasova obtained her PhD in material science, analytical science and biochemistry. Her expertise expands in the rapidly advancing field of soft robotics, including design, construction, and application of microrobots made from flexible and compliant materials. She has supervised and lead several translational projects utilising the knowledge of fundamental science, engineering, soft robotics, microfabrication to create new technologies and address current needs. She holds several grants such as the Translational Partnership Award and several projects under Technical Feasibility studies. She is internationally recognised, serving as guest editor in international journals, invited speaker and chair, board member and advisory committee member. She is a Fellow in RSC and a Fellow in HEA. In addition, she has published several papers, book chapters and patents. Currently, she is Facility Manager and senior Technical Expert at the Hamlyn Centre, Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College. Her role involves overseeing the infrastructure, equipment, safety protocols and daily operations necessary for cutting-edge projects.

UK RAS STEPS Co-lead

Andy Blight is a Robotics Software Technician at the University of Leeds and holds a B.Sc. in Computing and Electronics and an M.Sc. in Electronics. He spent 25 years in industry developing software and running teams. He spent a few years developing embedded safety critical software for aircraft and cars and then worked on every aspect of software development from device drivers to server maintenance and software configuration management in the high volume, fast paced world of televisions and set top boxes.  Since joining the University of Leeds in 2019, he has written software to fly autonomous drones and control a range of small, autonomous inspection robots for the Pipebots project. As a co-investigator on the UKRAS-STEPS project, he is looking forward to helping to upskill other robotics technicians across the UK.

UK RAS STEPS Co-lead

Steve Maclaren is Chief Operating Officer at the National Robotarium, Heriot Watt University. After a full career in the Royal Navy as an aerospace engineer, working mainly on rotary wing aircraft, he joined a major aerospace defence company charged with delivering support and services across the globe to multiple International and domestic customers of key avionics and electrical components. This involved managing large contracts and a highly skilled team of logisticians, technicians, projects managers and associated functional support. From there he progressed into the world of digital and ultimately ended up In the IT department of the same aerospace and defence company as a business partner, working across multiple sites and all of the major functions. This included finance, engineering, procurement, operations, legal and support and services — a great grounding for his current role at the National Robotarium.

UK RAS STEPS Co-lead

Samia Nefti-Meziani is an international leading expert with 25 years of experience in AI and robotics. She has recently been awarded an Order of the British Empire for her services to Robotics and featured as the 2020’s top 30 world’s women in robotics you need to know about by Silicon Valley Robohub, the largest scientific community in robotics. She has a well-established track record and has published extensively in AI and robotics (more than 200 publications) which have appeared in very high impact factor journals and the most prestigious international publications in Robotics, Computer science and Engineering. She has made fundamental contributions in low-cost robotics technologies has developed wider practical cross-sectorial technologies through numerous commercial and research projects, funded by EU, EPSRC, RE, Innovate UK, RGF and ERDF and has pioneered their use in many sectors including Food, Agriculture, Nuclear, Transport, Aerospace and Healthcare through several projects. These technologies include force augmentation exoskeletons, haptic gloves, soft sensors, dexterous and novel end-effectors.

UK RAS STEPS Interim Programme Manager

Sarah started her career as a research technician in biomedicine, gradually progressing through the grades to a senior level. Having gained an interest in reproductive physiology she undertook a PhD aiming to improve success rates in artificial reproduction, which led to R&D and Technical Director roles in small and medium size enterprises developing medical devices. Through these roles, Sarah gained experience in project and relationship management which she brings to UK RAS STEPS. Sarah is looking forward to working with UK RAS STEPS to enhance, connect and empower research technical professionals in the robotics space.

UK RAS STEPS Operations Director

Marianne Knight serves as the Director of Operations at the Hamlyn Centre which is renowned for its international collaboration, outreach activities, and pioneering training programmes for surgeons and engineers in robotic technologies. Marianne oversees the effective management and development of the Centre’s operational framework. The Centre boasts extensive research and engineering spaces at the South Kensington Campus as well as pre-clinical facilities equipped with state-of-the-art imaging and surgical tools for in-vivo validation at the Surgical Innovation Centre St Mary’s Hospital. She provides high-level support to the Centre’s strategic remit, ensuring that the operational foundation supports the cutting-edge research and training activities of the Hamlyn Centre. She is also responsible for building and maintaining effective organisational and collaborative networks, establishing and managing institutional governance structures, and working closely with high-profile funders. Her expertise ensures that the Centre’s operations are not only efficient but also aligned with its long-term goals of innovation and excellence in clinical practice and research.

UK RAS STEPS Project Officer

Justyna Siuta holds a B.Sc. in International Cultural Studies from Jagiellonian University in Poland. Before embarking on a career in project management she developed her skills in Social Science research, delivering several research papers at national and international conferences. In her role at the British Council, she successfully coordinated several projects including the Global Skills Spotlight, which was a series of senior policy dialogue events and the ‘How to Succeed in the Global Workplace’ MOOC in which participated 50000 participants from over 180 countries. She is particularly dedicated to integrating equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) principles into organisations and looking at how teams can benefit from a culturally diverse workforce. As a Project Officer, she is excited to contribute to the transformation of the RAS Technicians’ landscape in the UK.

UK RAS STEPS Public Engagement Manager

Claire Asher is a freelance science communicator with a PhD in genetics, ecology and evolution. She previously managed public engagement activities for the UK RAS Network, organising their annual Robotics Week celebration including their mass robotics livestream event, ‘Robot Lab Live’, an online careers panel discussion, and two creative competitions to engage young children in robotics. She is also the Producer and Host of the Robot Talk podcast, which launched in 2020. She is co-author of Brave Green World: How Science Can Save Our Planet, and has written for a variety of science publications including New Scientist, BBC Science Focus and Mongabay. She has appeared twice as a panelist on BBC Radio 4’s Nature table, and has performed stand-up comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Green Man Festival, Wilderness Festival and the Bloomsbury Theatre.