Richard Ian Kitney

Professor Richard Ian Kitney is Professor of Biomedical Systems Engineering in the Department of Bioengineering within Imperial College London's Faculty of Engineering. He serves as Chairman of the Institute of Systems and Synthetic Biology and Co-Director of the EPSRC National Centre for Synthetic Biology and Innovation. His institutional affiliations include the Centre for Synthetic Biology, Centre for Translational Nutrition and Food Research, and the Industrial Biotechnology Hub CsynBI.

His academic qualifications include a DSc (Eng) from the University of London and a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College London. He holds professional designations as Chartered Engineer (CEng), Fellow of the Institution of Electrical Engineers (FIEE), and Chartered Scientist (CSci).

Kitney's research focuses on synthetic biology, systems biology, and biomedical engineering, with emphasis on mathematical modeling, medical imaging, and engineering biology principles. He pioneered the integration of automation and standardization in biological design, establishing Imperial College as a global leader in synthetic biology through the development of the Imperial College Hub for Synthetic Biology and SynbiCITE, the UK's national industrial translation center. His work bridges fundamental research with industrial applications in biomanufacturing and sustainable solutions.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a decisive shift toward engineering biology as a systematic discipline, characterized by automation-driven workflows, biofoundry infrastructure development, and applications addressing global challenges including pandemic response and sustainable vaccine production. Key trends include standardization of biological parts, computational design tools, and policy frameworks enabling the advanced bioeconomy.

His distinguished honors include:

• Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to Information Technology in Biomedicine (2001)
• Fellowship in the World Technology Network (1999)
• Academician of the International Academy of BioMedical Engineering (2003)
• Honorary Fellowships of The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (2006)
• Fellowships of The Royal Academy of Engineering and Royal Society of Edinburgh

Kitney has secured transformative funding through leadership of national initiatives including the EPSRC National Centre for Synthetic Biology and Innovation and SynbiCITE. He chaired The Royal Academy of Engineering Inquiry into Synthetic Biology and co-authored the UK Roadmap for Synthetic Biology, establishing critical policy frameworks. His grants portfolio emphasizes industrial translation, biofoundry development, and building the UK's engineering biology capability.

He directs the Imperial College Synthetic Biology Hub (CsynBI) and The Foundry DNA synthesis facility, which form the core of Imperial's engineering biology infrastructure. These centers operate as integrated platforms connecting academic research with industrial applications through standardized workflows, automated design-build-test cycles, and collaborative projects with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.