Experience and background
Dr. Langford qualified with a degree in Physics (1st Class Honours), a Diploma in Analytical Physics and a PhD in Chemical Physics. This was followed by five years of postdoctoral work on the development of explosive detection instrumentation - the development of a quadrupole ion trap sniffer.
Government postings
She subsequently moved to work for the UK government scientific agency DERA (now split into Dstl and QinetiQ) where she ran the Trace and Vapour Detection Research and Development group. Two years later she was promoted to Technical Manager of the entire Chemical and Physical Detection R&D area. Her work included:
- The development of instrumentation and methods for trace and vapour detection.
- The development of instrumentation and methods for non-invasive imaging of objects (X-ray, millimetre wave imaging, neutron imaging).
- The development of instrumentation and methods for non-invasive identification of materials (quadrupole resonance, neutron techniques).
- Manager of the UK Department for Transport equipment development programme at DERA. This programme was aimed at the development of improved instrumentation for aviation/port security purposes.
- The identification of potential industrial partners for the commercial development of explosive detection equipment and techniques developed at DERA. Responsibility for commercialization and technical transfer issues.
- Technical consultant to the UK Ministry of Defence on the procurement and use of explosive detection equipment.
- Technical consultant to UK Customs on the procurement of X-ray equipment.
- Consultant to the US Federal Aviation Administration on trace detection issues.
- Development and technical management of DERA mine detection and drugs detection R&D programmes.
- Founding member of the UK Drugs Detection Working Group.
Detection for Security Ltd.
Dr. Langford left DERA to set up Detection for Security Ltd. in August 2001 when DERA was split and 75% privatised to become QinetiQ and Dstl. Since then she has carried out a variety of work for technology companies, potential investors/venture capitalists and procuring agencies all round the world including Australia, the Middle East, USA, Europe and China.
ICTS Europe and VeriSys services
In May 2005 Dr. Langford took on, in addition to her role at D4S, the part time post of Science and Technology Advisor at ICTS Europe and Manager of the ICTS Europe VeriSys services.
ICTS Europe is the biggest supplier of aviation security screening services in Europe. Their main area of business is the provision of trained security staff to run the security equipment at airports. They also work in the areas of port and maritime security and canine olfaction.
Dr. Langford manages the ICTS Europe VeriSys service. VeriSys is an independent security equipment test and evaluation service carried out on ICTS’s secure site in France and at a number of sites in the UK. Manufacturers are able to bring their equipment to the ICTS laboratory where it is independently tested against an agreed test protocol under NDA. Alternatively VeriSys clients can use ICTS licensed explosive and a range of facilities to self test their own equipment. More information on VeriSys can be obtained here.
Clearances
Dr. Langford is cleared by the UK Ministry of Defence to handle classified information up to the level of SECRET.
Further information
A more detailed CV can be found here and a list of publications, presentations and inventions can be found on the publications page.
