Emeritus Professor Alan Cottenden MBE MA PhD CEng CSci FIMechE MIPEM MIMMM MBE
After a first degree in Materials Science at Cambridge University, Alan studied for a PhD in the mechanical properties of machine tool materials, sharing his time between Cambridge and the National Physical Laboratory. He then switched his attention to Biomedical Engineering, exploring a range of topics before settling on technology for managing intractable incontinence in 1980. He spent most of his career at University College London where he is now Emeritus Professor of Incontinence Technology.
He is a member of the Advisory Board of the US Simon Foundation for continence, and the British Standards Institute and International Standards Organisation committees on incontinence technology. He co-directs the Continence Product Advisor (www.continenceproductadvisor.org) which aims to help people with incontinence and caregivers identify suitable products and use them effectively. As a member of the Biomedical Engineering Division Board of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, he co-chairs the two-yearly Incontinence: The Engineering Challenge conferences , highly multidisciplinary gatherings that aim to inform, inspire and encourage those working in the field, and provoke interest in addressing problems in urgent need of attention.