Contact Dr Matthew Healy
- Tel: +44 (0) 1793 785736
- Email: m.j.f.healy@cranfield.ac.uk
- ORCID
Areas of expertise
- CBRN Focus Areas
- Counter-IED
- Test and Evaluation
- Human Factors for Defence
Background
Matthew started as an X-ray and accelerator physicist (and has been the profiled physicist in Physics World) but his remit has grown to encompass the wider issues of defence and security over two decades working with the military, the emergency services, government agencies and industry. His main technical field still encompasses nuclear and radiological weapons and security imaging, but extends across CBRN, IED’s, surveillance, materials and forensics. Aspects to which he contributes include threat, planning, procurement and cost, response, forensic science, and policy.
Consultancy activities have included leading an SME team in a national CBRN detection procurement programme, developing search and interdiction methods and technologies, decision support following the Fukushima incident, performing CBRN vulnerability assessments for UK and foreign infrastructure, performing independent requirements capture, and assessing the cost of recovering from CBRN terrorism.
Current activities
A large part of his activity is creating bespoke short courses for defence and security clients and supervising doctoral research programs for senior professionals undertaking personal development.
Matthew continues to develop X-ray imaging techniques, and researches everything from threats to effects, technologies, costs and policies associated with radiological and nuclear weapons, as well as keeping current in wider domestic and international defence and security issues. These activities are funded by a combination of civil and military government agencies and private sector funds.
Matthew currently supervises or co-supervises the following PhD candidates from the defence and security sector working on the following topics, and contributes to half dozen or so other thesis committees.
- Monte-Carlo modelling of radiation transport and interactions for imaging systems
- The requirement and development of Audio Visual technology to support emergency response to CBRN Incidents and Hazards
- Advanced Detection of Improvised Explosive Device Components
- Enhancing ways of thinking and combining perspectives to gain increased insight into complex socio-technical systems.
Previous supervised PhD students have researched:
- Radiation survey in challenging environments CBRN classification for first responders
- Stand-off sensing of radiological and nuclear hazards within defence and security
- Medical preparedness for a nuclear detonation in major cities
- Optimising search for radioactive sources in the urban environment
- Radiological emergency response, imprecision and decision making
- Forecasting terrorist attack and countermeasure effect by historical analysis
- Nuclear intelligence
- Building sustainable nuclear infrastructure
Matthew supports on average 3 MSc students a year, illustrative MSc projects include
- An inter-comparison of CBRN detection capability
- The immediate response to a dirty bomb
- The commanders decision making process in a radiological environment
- Use of genetic algorithms for non-invasive search
Much of Matthew’s research supports teaching, for example:
- Nuclear weapons policy and deterrence
- Technologies and science of Weapons of Mass Destruction
- Wider technologies for security and resilience
Further research is conducted under the umbrella of consultancy, which has included:
- CBRN vulnerability studies
- Construction of plausible vignettes
- Developing models to guide the development of detection systems
- Assessment and development of detection systems (not just CBRN)
- Review of response exercises
Courses that Matthew leads or delivers on include
- Nuclear Weapons Policy
- CBRN Defence Science
- Nuclear Hardness and Vulnerability
- Bespoke practitioner CBRN courses
- WMD in International Security and Resilience
- Ammunition Technical Officers
- Technology of Resilience
- Battle Space Technology
- Guided Weapons
- Forensics Modular Masters Programme
- Hazardous Forensics
Matthew is open to applications from students wishing to study research degrees. A MSc by research full time can take one year, an MPhil 2 years FT and a PhD 3 years FT 6yrs PT. The CBRN research group numbers about ten candidates including mature professionals and some Summer interns.
Clients
- AEA technology
- Aon
- AWE
- Barclays
- BP
- Burro Happold
- Department of Energy and Climate Change
- Deutschebank
- dstl
- European Union
- General Dynamics
- Intel
- Lockheed Martin
- MBDA
- MoD
- NATO
- Nordian UK
- Police
- Public Health England
- PoolRe
- Rio Tinto
- SSM Sweden
- Various unnamed financial institutions, governments and militaries.
Publications
Articles In Journals
- Vetter M, Healy M & Lane D (2021) Investigating electric field induced molecular distortions in polypropylene using Raman spectroscopy, Polymer Testing, 92 (December 2020) Article No. 106851.
- Costa KP, Lima SX, Brum T, Lima ZR, Amorim JC, Healy MJ, Vital HC, Prah M & Andrade ER (2019) Cost-effective approach to lung cancer risk for a radiological dispersal device (RDD) scenario, Nukleonika, 64 (4) 123-129.
- Andrade ER, Oliveira ALN, Funcke LN, Souza LHFF, Healy MJF & Vital HC (2019) Potential contribution of selected metallic restorative dentistry materials to X-ray fluorescence, Radioprotection, Early online (3).
- Limac SX, Costa KPS, Lima ZR, Rother FC, Araujoe OMO, Vital HC, Brum T, Junior WFRS, Amorim JCC, Healy MJF & Andrade ER (2019) Simulated nuclear contamination scenario, solid cancer risk assessment, and support to decision, Nukleonika, 64 (2) 41-48.
- Andrade CPS, Souza CJ, Camerini ESN, Alves IS, Vital HC, Healy MJF & Andrade ER (2018) Support to triage and public risk perception considering long-term response to a Cs-137 radiological dispersive device scenario, Toxicology and Industrial Health, 34 (6) 433-438.
- Vella A, Munoz AAM, Healy MJF, Lane DW & Lockley D (2018) An artificial X-ray wire test emitter and calculations on the resolution and field of view of X-ray pinhole optics by simulation, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 905 119-128.
- Munoz AAM, Vella A, Healy MJF, Lane DW, Jupp I & Lockley D (2018) Rapid prototyping-coded masks for x-ray backscatter imaging, Optical Engineering, 57 (8) Article No. 085104.
- Munoz AAM, Vella A, Healy MJF, Lane DW, Jupp I & Lockley D (2018) Low open fraction coded masks for x-ray backscatter imaging, Optical Engineering, 57 (9) Article No. 093108. Dataset/s: 10.1117/1.OE.57.9.093108
- Rother FC, Rebello WF, Healy MJF, Silva MM, Cabral PAM, Vital HC & Andrade ER (2016) Radiological risk assessment by convergence methodology model in RDD scenarios, Risk Analysis, 36 (11) 2039-2046.
- Healy MJF (2015) A framework for the systematic realisation of phenomena for enhanced sensing of radiological and nuclear materials, and radiation, Journal of Radiological Protection, 35 (3) 649-658.
- Raymond Ee & Matthew J F Healy (2015) CBRN Intercomparison: We don't compare apples and oranges but we will eat fruit salad., CBRNe World (August 2015) 57-61.
- Matthew J F Healy (2015) By the pricking of my thumbs: sensing radiological and nuclear hazards, CBRNe World (April 2015) 55-59.
- Östlund K, Geber-Bergstrand T, Nilsson J, Healy MJF, Linde M, Jönsson M, EmilPálsson S, Samuelsson C & Finck R (2013) REFOX - Outline and preliminary evaluation of a joint Nordic radiological emergency response exercise conducted in Sweden, CBRNe World (June 2013) 40-42.
- Healy MJF (2013) Sensing Capability - A View On Procurement, Development And Terminology., Defence Procurement International (Summer 2013) 60-63.
- Roncallo S, Painter JD, Healy MJF, Ritchie SA, Finnis MV, Rogers KD, Scragg JJ, Dale PJ & Zoppi G (2011) Effects of different needles and substrates on CuInS2 deposited by electrostatic spray deposition, Thin Solid Films, 519 (11) 3544-3551.
- Healy MJF, Weston K, Romilly M & Arbuthnot K (2009) A model to support CBRN defence, Defense and Security Analysis, 25 (2) 119-135.
- Bloomer SE & Healy MJF (2008) Invisible and Lethal, NBC International, Spring (2008) 64-65.
- Healy MJF (2006) Energy calibration by silicon resonance: Completing system calibration with one reference material, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 249 (1 and 2) 918-920.
- Healy MJF, Torres M & Painter JD (2006) A software tool enabling the analysis of small lateral features without the use of a microbeam, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 249 (1-2) 789-791.
- Healy MJF (2005) DiRDDy Bomb, CBRNe World (Summer) 24-25.
- May-Smith TC, Grivas C, Shepherd DP, Eason RW & Healy MJF (2004) Thick film growth of high optical quality low loss (0.1 dB cm -1) Nd:Gd3Ga5O12 on Y 3Al5O12 by pulsed laser deposition, Applied Surface Science, 223 (4) 361-371.
- Healy MJF, Pidduck AJ, Dollinger G, Gorgens L & Bergmaier A (2002) Ion beam analysis of aluminium in thin layers, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 190 (4) 630-635.
- Sayle DC, Catlow CRA, Dulamita N, Healy MJF, Maicaneanu SA, Slater B & Watson GW (2002) Modelling oxide thin films, Molecular Simulation, 28 (6-7) 683-725.
- Thied RC, Halle A, Lewin B, Pitner WR, Bradley AE, Sanders D, Rooney D, Seddon KR, Sims HE, Baston G, Newton GWA, Healy MJF, Hamblett I, Allen D, Hodgson B & Gorman T (2001) Studies of the radiation stability of ionic liquids., American Chemical Society, Abstracts of Papers, 221 U583-U583.
- Sayle DC, Catlow CRA, Harding JH, Healy MJF, Maicaneanu SA, Parker SC, Slater B & Watson GW (2000) Atomistic simulation methodologies for modelling the nucleation, growth and structure of interfaces, Journal of Materials Chemistry, 10 (6) 1315-1324.
- Healy MJF & Gurbich AF (2000) New data on the proton elastic scattering cross-section for silicon, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 161 (March) 136-140.
- Rogers KD, Painter JD, Lane DW & Healy M (1999) The Structural Changes in CdS-CdTe Thin Films Due to Annealing, Journal of Electronic Materials, 28 (2) 112-117.
- Rogers KD, Painter JD, Healy MJ, Lane DW & Ozsan ME (1999) The crystal structure of CdS-CdTe thin film heterojunction solar cells, Thin Solid Films, 339 (1-2) 299-304.
- Alexandrou I, Zergioti I, Amaratunga GAJ, Healy MJF, Kiely CJ, Hatto P, Velegrakis M & Fotakis C (1999) New reactive pulsed laser ablation technique for the deposition of hard carbon and carbon-nitride thin films, Materials Letters, 39 (2) 97-102.
- Healy MJF & Lane DW (1998) Revised cross sections of the 32S(d,p) 33S reactions, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 136-138 66-71.
- Alexandrou I, Zergiotic I, Healy MJF, Amaratunga GAJ, Kiely CJ, Davock H, Papworth A & Fotakis C (1998) Enhancement of the properties of pulsed laser-deposited carbon nitride by the synchronisation of laser and N2 gas jet pulse., Surface and Coatings Technology, 110 (3) 147-152.
- Healy MJF & Lane DW (1998) Revised cross sections of the 32S(d,p) 33S reactions, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 136-138 66-71.
- Lane DW, Conibeer GJ, Romani S, Healy MJF & Rogers KD (1998) Depth profiling sulphur in bulk CdTe and CdTe/CdS thin film heterojunctions, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 136 225-230.
- Healy MJF & Lane DW (1998) Revised cross sections of the S-32(d,p)S-33 reactions, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 136 66-71.
- Healy MJF (1997) Minimising carbon contamination during ion beam analysis, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 129 (1) 130-136.
- Healy M (1996) An electrostatic filter for high resolution nuclear reaction analysis, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 118 (1-4) 196-200.
- Lane DW, Avery AJ, Partridge G & Healy M (1993) A simple accelerator calibration procedure, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 73 (4) 583-586.
Conference Papers
- Munoz AAM, Vella A, Healy MJF, Lane DW, Jupp I & Lockley D (2017) 3D-printed coded apertures for x-ray backscatter radiography. In: Radiation Detectors in Medicine, Industry, and National Security XVIII, San Diego, CA, 6-10 August 2017.
- Vella A, Munoz AAM, Healy MJF, Lane DW, Lockley D & Zhou J (2017) A fast and reliable approach to simulating the output from an x-ray tube used for developing security backscatter imaging. In: Advances in Computational Methods for X-Ray Optics IV, San Diego, CA, 9-10 August 2017.
- Munoz AAM, Vella A, Healy MJF, Lane DW, Jupp I & Lockley D (2017) X-ray backscatter radiography with lower open fraction coded masks. In: Radiation Detectors in Medicine, Industry, and National Security XVIII, San Diego, CA, 6-10 August 2017.
- Vella A, Munoz AAM, Healy MJF, Lane DW & Lockley D (2017) The use of simulation to optimize the pinhole diameter and mask thickness for an x-ray backscatter imaging system. In: Advances in Computational Methods for X-Ray Optics IV, San Diego, CA, 9-10 August 2017.
- Healy MJF (2006) Energy Calibration by silicon resonance: completing system calibration with one reference material. In: 17th Internation Conference on Ion beam analysis, Seville, Spain.
- Healy MJF Two models supporting strategic thinking in threat and CBRN. In: Conferência Anual de Defesa, 1 a 3 de outubro de 2012, Projetos Prioritários: Tecnologias, Soluções, Orçamento e Planos de Continuidade, Brasilia, 1 October 2012.
- Bloomer SE & Healy M Defence against the radiological threat. In: International Symposium on Radiological Protection.
- Healy MJF, Burgess P, Kniest F, Mayhugh M, Sellin P, Croydon WF, Twomey T, Klett A, Patel G & Crosse R Sensor materials for the detection and identification of radiological substances. In: Internation Symposium on Radiological Protection.
- Healy MJF & Bloomer S Role of detectors in the battle against radiological terrorism. In: International Symposium on Radiological Protection .
- Healy MJF, Torres M & Painter JD Analysis of laterally inhomogeneous structures without microbeam or IEM. In: 17th international conference on ion beam analysis, Sevilla, 26 June 2005.
Books
- Matthew J F Healy (2015) Radiological and Nuclear sensing. In: CBRNeworld's big red directory, Falcon Communications Ltd, p. 136-141.
- Baston GMN, Bradley AE, Gorman T, Hamblett I, Hardacre C, Hatter JE, Healy MJF, Hodgson B, Lewin R, Lovell KV, Newton GWA, Nieuwenhuyzen M, Pitner WR, Rooney DW, Sanders D, Seddon KR, Simms HE & Thied RC (2002) Ionic Liquids for the Nuclear Industry: A Radiochemical, Structural, and Electrochemical Investigation. In: Ionic Liquids, American Chemical Society, p. 162-177.