Karen Thorn LinkedIn profile pic

Karen Thorn

R&D Solution Specialist

R&D Solution Specialists

Talk with me about how Callaghan Innovation’s R&D experts can help you on your R&D journey

I’m here to connect Kiwi innovators and entrepreneurs to the deep expertise we have here at Callaghan Innovation. 

My role is to help Kiwis solve technical challenges on their R&D journey by connecting innovators with our world-leading Callaghan Innovation experts, scientists and engineers. We work with our customers to scope their technical R&D projects in a collaborative way, with a focus on de-risking investment. 

We are here to help advance your R&D projects from the realisation of an idea through to prototype, upscale and commercialisation. 

I have learned never to be surprised because innovators are everywhere. I talk to people every day with amazing new ideas for scientific innovation. No idea is too small or too big! Please reach out and chat with us to share your ideas and see how we can assist you on your journey.

I’m also a scientist myself and was a guest on Radio New Zealand’s “Fact or Fiction” show talking about MacGyver’s laser and whether it was technically possible. I don’t think his laser would have worked! What do you think? I did come up with a much simpler technical solution - a giant lens to focus the sun and a whole lot of gunpowder! 

Areas of expertise
  • Helping Kiwis solve technical challenges on their R&D journey 
  • Connecting Kiwi innovators with world-leading Callaghan Innovation experts, scientists and engineers
  • Working with our customers to scope their technical R&D projects with a focus on de-risking investment
  • Developing technical R&D proposals which may be useful for funding applications and capital raising
Education
  • PhD in Physics from Victoria University (2020)
  • BSc. (hons) in Physics from Otago University (2000)
Publications
  • Adaptive optics for vision science, H Queener, J Lin, K Thorn, A Awwal, Wiley-Interscience 47405, 115-148
  • The photoprotection mechanism in the black–brown pigment eumelanin, A Ilina, KE Thorn, PA Hume, I Wagner, RR Tamming, JJ Sutton, ...Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119 (4e2212343119
  • Efficient and tunable spectral compression using frequency-domain nonlinear optics, KE Thorn, NR Monahan, SKK Prasad, K Chen, JM Hodgkiss, Optics Express 26 (21), 28140-28149
  • Simultaneously Enhancing Exciton/Charge Transport in Organic Solar Cells by an Organoboron Additive, H Lu, K Chen, RS Bobba, J Shi, M Li, Y Wang, J Xue, P Xue, X Zheng, … Advanced Materials 34 (42), 2205926
  • Free charge photogeneration in a single component high photovoltaic efficiency organic semiconductor, MB Price, PA Hume, A Ilina, I Wagner, RR Tamming, KE Thorn, W Jiao, … Nature Communications 13 (1), 2827
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