Dr Alan Wilson,
BSc Hons Melbourne, MAIP

Dr Wilson received his B.Sc. (Hons) degree, from the University of Melbourne, School of Physics, in 1976 and his PhD in 1986 also from the University of Melbourne. He then worked for 3 years as a Research Fellow in the Electron Microscope Unit, University of Sydney before taking a permanent position at the Defence Science and Technology Organization laboratory in Melbourne where he is now a Senior Research Scientist with Maritime Platforms Division. His initial training and work was in the areas of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and analytical electron microscopy. This included studies of crystal structure, modeling, model calculation development for high resolution imaging and later for Monte Carlo simulations of x-ray generation. This moved to a study of thin interfaces and then to adhesive bonding and bond degradation mechanisms. In 1997-98 Dr Wilson spent 15 months at Stanford University, USA with Professor Greg Kovacs to “kick-start” the Micro-Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and micro-sensor work at DSTO.

He currently leads a team of 8 people in MEMS, nanotechnology and micro-sensor research and development for Defence applications and is the DSTO POC in these areas. The work is primarily on the development of micro-sensors and systems for structural and environmental monitoring of major (defence) assets. The team has a focus on the eventual commercial development of their technology for adoption into the ADF. Three sensors have been licensed for external commercial development. Dr Wilson is, and has been, a member of a number of external micro-technology related committees/advisory groups, including the Asia Pacific Nanotechnology Forum, and has been a chair/co-chair for MEMS and Smart Materials related international conferences in Australia. He holds two patents for sensors (one as a sole inventor) and is a co-inventor on two other provisional patents that are moving to full patents. He is an author on around 100 journal and conference papers with the last 20 or so in the field of MEMS, smart materials and micro-sensor applications.