Professor Pete Vukusic

Professor Pete Vukusic is Professor of BioPhotonics & Associate Dean for Education at the University of Exeter. He is an international award-winning science presenter who has delivered science outreach activities to students and adults in Europe, the US and Africa.

He formed and leads the Biological Photonics research group at the University of Exeter, whose research looks to understand naturally evolved strategies in using and manipulating light in biological systems. This research is used to improve existing technologies and to design innovative new optical devices.

Pete Vukusic began investigating structural colour in the University of Exeter School of Physics in 1998. Iridescent appearances and the photonic properties of butterflies and moths was central to the original work but his research has diversified to comprise the photonics of a much broader range of animals and plants. Pete formed and leads the Biological Photonics research group at Exeter. The group’s research is motivated by the goal of fundamentally understanding naturally evolved strategies at work in the manipulation of light, colour, pattern and appearances. The group’s principle aims comprise development of a critical knowledge base of biological strategies involved in evolved photonic system processes and applying them to improve existing technologies.

Professor Vukusic has received the Lawrence Bragg award of the Institute of Physics and the Kolm Award of the Royal Society. He obtained his undergraduate degree and PhD from the University of Exeter. After he completed his PhD he initially became a physics teacher at secondary school, before returning as a BBSRC David Phillips Fellow, School of Physics, Exeter University. He speaks at events all around the world to a variety of audiences.