ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is delighted to announce that Professor Christopher (Chris) Hancock has been awarded the title of Emeritus Professor following his retirement as Professor in Microwave Medical Devices in the School of Computer Science and Engineering on 30 September 2025. This honour recognises his exceptional contributions to electronic engineering, medical technology innovation, and his long-standing commitment to the University.
A Career at the Intersection of Research and Industry
Chris Hancock began his academic career at the University College of North Wales (UCNW, now ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½) in 1987, following a four-year apprenticeship with Thorn EMI in Wells, Somerset. Sponsored by Thorn EMI, he studied for a BSc in Electronic Engineering, before continuing with an MSc by research in Communication Systems Engineering, and a PhD in Instrumentation Design focused on switching magnetic fields and measuring magnetisation to understand speed limitations of magnetic recording media.
After a period as a Research Assistant in the Magnetic Materials Research Group (MMRG), he spent time in industry exploring innovative approaches to cancer treatment using lossy magnetic fluids and applied magnetic fields. In 2003, he founded MicroOncology Ltd (now Creo Medical PLC) to develop high-frequency microwave devices capable of controllably destroying cancerous tissue with minimally invasive applicators.
He returned to Bangor in 2010 as Professor to lead the Medical Microwave Systems Research Group, combining research, teaching, and translation of innovation into clinical devices that have transformed patient care worldwide.
Research, Innovation, and Impact
Professor Hancock is a Chartered Engineer and Physicist and a prolific inventor, holding over 150 patent families, with protections in multiple territories, representing well over 1,500 granted and pending patents worldwide. His work spans RF and microwave engineering, analogue instrumentation design, and medical device innovation.
His inventions have led to a range of microwave- and RF-based therapeutic devices now used daily in clinical settings to treat colon cancer, gastrointestinal diseases, early-stage lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer, improving outcomes for thousands of patients worldwide. One of his electrosurgical platforms has already treated over 6,000 patients and is estimated to save the NHS up to £10,000 per procedure, demonstrating the transformative clinical and economic impact of his innovations.
In 2019, he received the Institute of Physics Katharine Burr Blodgett Gold Medal and Prize for pioneering cancer treatment systems. He was awarded the Inaugural Junkosha Technology Innovator of the Year Award in 2022, recognised by the European Patent Office in 2023 as one of the 50 Leading Tech Voices, and in 2025 was named among the top UK-based inventors filing patents globally.
Honours and Recognition
Professor Hancock is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng), the Learned Society of Wales (FLSW), the Institute of Physics, and the Institute of Engineering and Technology. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE, a Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor at UCL, and an Honorary Professor in the School of Medicine at Cardiff University.
Legacy and Impact
Throughout his career at Bangor and beyond, Professor Hancock has bridged academic research, industrial application, and real-world impact. His pioneering work in electrosurgical systems has changed treatment pathways for cancer patients worldwide, while his teaching, mentoring, and collaboration with Bangor researchers have nurtured new talent in medical engineering.
Professor William Heath, head of school for Computer Science and Engineering said:
Professor Hancock’s leadership in medical microwave systems, his enterprise in founding and growing Creo Medical, and his dedication to teaching and collaboration at Bangor have set a high benchmark. We are proud to award him Emeritus Professor status and wish him continued success in his ongoing work and this next exciting phase of his career.
Dr Cristiano Palego, senior lecturer in microwave instrumentation said:
Chris is an outstanding engineer and an exceptional person. I have greatly enjoyed collaborating with him across a wide range of projects, from day-to-day co-supervision of research students to building complex consortia and delivering cutting-edge technologies in multinational initiatives. Above all, I have cherished the moments spent in his office discussing the latest progress and visionary ideas in bioelectricity. Those conversations were always met with keen interest, a genuine willingness to help, an abundance of creative suggestions, and an enthusiasm that became the driving force behind new scientific endeavours.
Professor Iestyn Pierce, professor in Electronic Engineering said:
It has been a privilege to study and work alongside Chris. I fondly recall his boundless enthusiasm, technical dexterity and general good humour during our time as students at Bangor in the early nineties and have been fortunate enough to be a colleague of his more recently, seeing his love of microwave engineering and its applications inspire generations of students. His supervision and nurturing of postgraduate students was a model that we his colleagues aspire to. I wish him the very best with his next steps. Well done, Chris.