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Paul Evans

Paul Evans

Royal Society Wolfson Fellow and Distinguished Professor

Computer Science

Staff Group(s)
Computer Science

Role

Paul Evans is a Royal Society Wolfson Fellow and Distinguished Professor of Applied Imaging Science and Head of the Imaging Science Group.

Paul has generated and maintains a portfolio of international patents in the field of 3-dimensional X-ray imaging and materials identification. His work combines the two primary but discrete fields of radiography and crystallography.

He leads research in multiparameter X-ray imaging employing novel diffraction and absorption techniques. Paul is the Principal Investigator for a $5 million programme of research to develop next generation security scanners.

Paul’s research, including five journal papers, and two case studies with twelve underpinning journal papers was included in NTU’s REF 2021 submission to the Engineering Unit of Assessment where 98% of research submitted was either world-leading or internationally excellent in terms of quality (GPAs: Overall 3.43, Outputs 3.36, Case Studies 3.75, and Environment 3.25).

NTU's Engineering Unit of Assessment has been ranked 14th from 89 entries in the Times Higher Education REF 2021 subject rankings for overall performance.

Career overview

Paul has invented and developed a range of world-class technologies, which have substantially increased the security of the travelling public and had a significant impact on the international security industry.

Invited personally by the UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA) and Head of the Government Office for Science onto a National Panel of Experts (2010).

Research areas

Professor Evans’ research has focussed on the invention, design and development of new technologies for sensing and imaging.

Three-dimensional X-ray imaging: divergent beam technology and kinetic depth effect X-ray imaging (KDEX)

Employing three interrelated techniques; kinetic depth effect or KDEX Imaging, laminography and binocular stereoscopic imaging. A major advance is the production of dynamic imagery from a single X-ray source and a static arrangement of linear X-ray sensors. The image capture time is the same as conventional 2D X-ray systems. This work is in collaboration with the UK Home Office Science and Technology Group.

The computational synthesis of intermediary view X-ray images from a sequence of sensor views is under investigation. This work is in collaboration with the UK Home Office Science and Technology Group and the US Department of Homeland Security. The programme is funded by the EPSRC.

X-ray diffraction (XRD) and absorption tomography: focal construct tomography (FCT)

This work was originally funded under the Innovative Research Call (IRC) part of the UK CONTEST strategy in partnership with the DHS. Ongoing work is funded by the Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate, Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency, Explosives Division through the Advanced X-ray Material Discrimination Program; contract HSHQDC-15-C-B0036.

X-ray materials identification: focal construct geometry (FCG)

Novel techniques for the identification of materials employing coherently scattered X-rays are currently under investigation and development. This project is funded under the Innovative Research Call in Explosives and Weapons Detection (2007-2014), a cross-government programme sponsored by Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB); Department for Transport (DfT); Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI); and Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), and US Dept of Homeland Security (DHS).

This work underpinned the award of the  'HALO X-ray Imaging' research contract funded by the the US Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate, Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency, Explosives Division through the Advanced X-ray Material Discrimination Program; $5.2million.

X-ray sensors for materials discrimination: castellated dual-energy X-ray detectors

A new type of materials discriminating sensor, which reduces the total number of scintillation elements by 50%, has been developed. The resultant imaging performance is comparable to conventional dual-energy sensors and has formed the basis for a commercial product. This work was funded by the EPSRC and undertaken in collaboration with the UK Home Office Science and Technology Group.

A range of image processing techniques utilising basis materials decomposition (BMD) for improved materials discrimination is under investigation. This work is in collaboration with the UK Home Office Science and Technology Group and was originally funded by the EPSRC.

Psychological human factors evaluation: 2D v 3D X-ray scans

This research is funded by the Science and Technology Directorate within the USA Dept of Homeland Security and is in collaboration with the UK Home Office Science and Technology Group. Our work seeks to evaluate the contributions of depth information to the detection and identification of objects in X-ray scans of luggage.

KEY RESEARCH GRANTS

J.P.O. Evans (NTU); K. Rogers (Cranfield U);  Grant title: Sporadic diffraction and absorption volumetric X-ray imaging  (EP/T034238/1); EPSRC Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council; Partners: Adaptix Ltd; HALO X-ray Technologies Ltd; Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) - Rutherford Appleton Laboratory; Dstl Defence Science and Technology Laboratory - Porton Down; Cobalt Trust NHS; (2021-25); £1.227 million.

J.P.O. Evans (NTU); Grant title: Cellular X-ray diffraction (CXRD); Innovative Research Call 2020 for Explosives and Weapons Detection; Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI); Department for Transport (DfT); Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl); Home Office, Office for Security and Counter Terrorism (OSCT); Metropolitan Police Service; U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate; UK Border Force; (2021-2023); £482k.

J.P.O. Evans; HALO X-ray Imaging; US Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate, Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency, Explosives Division through the Advanced X-ray Material Discrimination Program; contract HSHQDC-15-C-B0036 (2015-ongoing)  $5.2million.

J.P.O. Evans; Royal Society Wolfson Fellowship: Material Specific 3D X-ray Imaging for Security and Medical Applications; The Royal Society, The Wolfson Foundation;  (2018-2023);  £161k.

K. Rogers (Cranfield U); J.P.O. Evans (NTU); I. Lyburn (NHS); M. D. Wilson (STFC): Grant title: PICUP - Point-of-Care Fracture Prediction (EP/R024316/1); EPSRC Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council; Collaborators: HALO X-ray Technologies Ltd; EPSRC; (2018-21); £776k (£229k to NTU).

J.P.O. Evans; ACID - Accelerated Contraband Identification by Diffraction (ACID); STFC CLASP (2016-2017) £108k.

K. Rogers (Cranfield U); J.P.O. Evans (NTU); N. Stone (Exeter U); R. M. Martin (Bristol U); P. Zioupos (Cranfield U); Grant title: Point-of-Care High Accuracy Fracture Risk Prediction (EP/K020196/1); EPSRC Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council; Collaborators: HALO X-ray Technologies Ltd; Radius Diagnostics Ltd; (2013-16); £776k (£302k to NTU).

J.P.O. Evans, S. Godber (HALO X-ray Technologies Ltd);  (NTU); K. Rogers (Cranfield U); HALO Tunable X-ray Technology - High Speed Materials ID (TSB 131257); Tech. Inspired CRD (Fast track) – Electron., sensors and photonics; TSB; (2013-14); £150k.

J.P.O. Evans; HALO Tomography, Innovative Research Call in Explosives and Weapons Detection, Home Office Explosives & Weapons Detection Programme part of the UK CONTEST strategy; Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB), Dept for Transport (DfT), Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI), Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), US Dept of Homeland Security (DHS); (2011-14); £400k.

J.P.O. Evans; HotSpot X-ray Diffraction Imaging for Materials ID Innovative Research Call in Explosives & Weapons Detection, Home Office Explosives & Weapons Detection Programme part of the UK CONTEST strategy; Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB), Dept for Transport (DfT), Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI), Metropolitan Police Service (MPS); (2008–11); £452k.

J.P.O. Evans; Scatter enhanced 3D X-ray imaging (EP/F017596/1); EPSRC Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council; Collaborators: Home Office Science & Technology Group, US Dept of Homeland Security (DHS), Durham Scientific Crystals Ltd, EPSRC; (2008-11); £306k (+Linked EPSRC EP/F017804/1 with K. Rogers at Cranfield U £138k)

J.P.O. Evans; EPSRC: Dynamic 3D imaging for X-ray security screening: crime feasibility study (EP/C520351/1); EPSRC Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council; Collaborators: US Dept of Homeland Security (DHS), Home Office Science & Technology Group, 3DX-Ray Ltd; (2005-06) £61K (+ £13K cash from 3DX-ray Ltd)

J.P.O. Evans; Grant title: Kinetic Depth X-ray (KDEX) Imaging for Security Screening; Collaborators: Home Office Science and Technology Group, Sponsor: Science and Technology Directorate within the US Dept of Homeland Security; Rolling 2004 to 2010; $500k

J.P.O. Evans; Grant title: Dynamic Stereoscopic X-ray Acquisition System; Home Office Science and Technology Group and DETR; (2000 to 2002); £62k.

J.P.O. Evans; Introduction of motion parallax into line-scan X-ray images; Home Office Science and Technology Group; (2000); £45k.

J.P.O. Evans; Integrated Stereoscopic X-ray Camera (GR/N08858/01) (assessed overall as Outstanding); EPSRC Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council; Collaborator: Home Office, e2v Technologies plc, Image Scan Holdings plc; EPSRC; (2000-2002); £50k.

Opportunities to carry out postgraduate research towards an MPhil / PhD or MSc by research exist in all the areas identified above. Further information may be obtained from the Doctoral School or by contacting Professor Evans by email.

External activity

  • Royal  Society Wolfson Fellow
  • Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (FIET)
  • Chartered Engineer (CEng)
  • CTO of HALO X-ray Technologies Ltd
  • Member of US DHS’ Transportation Security Laboratory Human Factors Program
  • Counter-terrorism strategy (CONTEST)
  • Invited to speak at CED (Concealed Explosives Detection) Conference 2016 Invited by Chair, Downing College, Cambridge
  • Invited to speak at the Royal Institution of Great Britain; Faraday Theatre  Innovative Research Call in Explosives and Weapons Detection Showcase (2014) by the IRC panel representing; Home Office, DfT, CPNI, Dstl, MPS, US DHS
  • Invited to speak at the Gordon Research Conference on: Detecting Illicit Substances: Explosives & Drugs; Switzerland (2013)
  • Invited to speak at Central Hall Westminster (2011) Home Office Innovative Research Call conference (2011)
  • Invited personally by the UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA) and Head of the Government Office for Science onto a National Panel of Experts (2010)
  • Invited Lecturer for University of Surrey (2004)
  • Invited Lecturer for Long term Research Principal Investigators Meeting (Atlantic City, US, 2004)
  • Programme Committee Member and Session Chair for SPIE International Symposium on Optical Science and Technology (2002-2003)
  • Invited Lecturer for SIRA General Meeting (2002)
  • Invited Lecturer for Society for Information Display (SID) (2000-2001)
  • External research degree examiner: University College London (UCL), University of Leicester, Heriot-Watt University, Liverpool John Moores University, De Montfort University, Oxford Brookes University, Cranfield University

Publications

Sporadic absorption tomography using a conical shell X-ray beam. Elarnaut F, Evans JPO, Downs D, Dicken AJ, Godber SX, Rogers KD, Optics Express, 2017, 25 (26)

Depth resolved snapshot energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction using a conical shell beam. Dicken AJ, Evans JPO, Rogers KD, Prokopiou D, Godber SX, Wilson M, Optics Express, 2017, 25 (18), 21321-21328

X-ray absorption tomography employing a conical shell beam. Evans JPO, Godber SX, Elarnaut F, Downes D, Dicken AJ, Rogers KD, Optics Express, 2016, 24 (25)

Energy-disperse X-ray diffraction using an annular beam. Dicken A, Evans JPO, Rogers KD, Greenwood C, Godber SX, Prokopiou D, Stone N, Clement JG, Lyburn I, Martin RM, Zioupos P, Optics Express, 2015, 23 (10), 13443-13454

X-ray diffraction from bone employing annular and semi-annular beams. Dicken AJ, Evans JPO, Rogers KD, Stone N, Greenwood C, Godber SX, Prokopiou D, Clement JG, Lyburn ID, Martin RM, Zioupos P, Physics in Medicine and Biology, 2015, 60 (15), 5803-5812

X-ray diffraction tomography employing an annular beam. Evans P, Rogers K, Dicken A, Godber S, Prokopiou D, Optics Express, 2014, 22 (10), 11930-11944

Combined X-Ray Diffraction And Kinetic Depth Effect Imaging. Evans P, Godber S, Chan JW, Rogers K, Rogers J, Dicken A, Optics Express, 2011, 19 (7)

High Intensity X-Ray Diffraction In Transmission Mode Employing An Analogue Of Poisson’s Spot. Evans P, Chan JW, Rogers K, Dicken A, Rogers J, Aip Applied Physics Letters, 2010, 97, (20)

Focal Construct Geometry – A Novel Approach To The Acquisition Of Diffraction Data. Evans P, Chan JW, Rogers J, Rogers K. Appl. Cryst, 2010, 43, 264-268

Position Determination Of Scatter Signatures - A Novel Sensor Geometry. Evans P, Chan JW, Rogers J, Rogers K, Dicken A, Talanta - The International Journal Of Pure And Applied Analytical Chemistry, 2010, 83 (2), 431-435

Wire transfer function analysis for castellated dual-energy X-ray detectors. Chan JW, Evans JPO, Yen SY, Monteith A, Applied Optics, 43 (35), 6413-6420

Stereoscopic imaging using folded linear dual-energy X-ray detectors. Evans JPO, Measurement Science and Technology, 2002, 12 (9), 1388-1397

See all of Paul Evans's publications...