Paul Dalgarno is the Associate Executive Dean (Education and Student Life) for the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences at Heriot-Watt. In this role he has overall strategic and operational responsibility for all elements of Teaching and Learning across the schools 7 seven teaching Disciplines.

Previous to this Paul was the Deputy Associate Executive Dean (E&SL) and Senior Programme Director (Global Head of Discipline) for Physics at Heriot Watt.

He also led the Advanced Microscopy Group at Heriot-Watt until 2022, which specialized in developing new microscopy and analytical techniques for the life sciences. His primary work focussed on interdisciplinary collaborations with core activities based on 4D imaging, multi-parameter microscopy, fluorescent lifetime imaging and the application of single photon detector arrays to life science imaging. Paul was, and to some degree remains, heavily involved in public outreach and engagement leading activities and in 2017 he won the Heriot-Watt student association Switched-On teaching Oscar for most exciting, enthusiastic and dynamic lecturer.

Paul obtained an MPhys degree in physics in 2001 before graduating with a PhD from Heriot-Watt in 2005 on the study of self-assembled semiconductor quantum dots. He worked until 2009 on semiconductor quantum optics, notably single photon sources, quantum dot physics and microcavities, before moving to St Andrews to study single molecule spectroscopy of RNA. In 2011 Paul returned to Heriot Watt as a research fellow in the then newly formed Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering (IB3).

Pauls research is based on developing novel optical and analytical techniques in order to address fundamental problems in the life sciences. Example methods include real time 3D cellular imaging, time resolved spectroscopy, multi-parameter micrsocopy, single moelcule detection and correlation imaging.