Professor Robert Keatch was Head of Mechanical, Biomedical and Electronic Engineering disciplines from 2005-2023, and also Associate Dean of School and College Director of Admissions and Student Recruitment. He is also the University lead on the associate partnership scheme with CERN, Switzerland, with whom he has multiple joint research projects. As Head of Discipline, he has instigated vital strategic initiatives embedding multidisciplinary teaching and research throughout his engineering programmes.

Over the past 36years Professor Keatch has become very experienced in teaching students at all undergraduate and postgraduate levels and has previously been nominated for the Teaching Innovation Award. He currently acts as Module Leader on a number of modules for the BEng in Mechanical Engineering and the MSc in Biomedical Engineering. For 6 years he was the Programme Director of the UG programme in ME and also oversaw the implementation of the new UG degree in Renewable Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Medical Imaging and most recently the six pathways in the MSc for Industrial Engineering.  In 2009 and 2014 he saw his Division voted 1^st in Scotland and 3^rdand 4^th  in the whole UK (Guardian University League Tables).  Professor Keatch has instigated a new learning concept into the programme, which was pioneered in MIT known as CDIO (Conceive, Develop, Innovate and Operate). This method of teaching allows engineering students to experience real life problems and tackle these practical challenges as a group project before being exposed to the theoretical knowledge through a lecture-based learning environment. It has created a new breed of students who are attuned to critical thinking and problem solving which is the key skill required in engineering. Due to the success of this, Professor Keatch now leads on the University Partnership with CERN, securing funds to send engineering students on placements in Geneva for 11months each year.

Professor Keatch founded the multi-disciplinary Bio-Engineering Research Group and was Section Head of Regenerative Medicine Technology (REMiT) as part of the Institute of Medical Science and Technology (IMSaT).  

His research expertise has focussed primarily on generating complex scaffolds used in wound healing and systems biology modelling and the principal objective of his group is to promote cross-disciplinary research interaction. His extensive expertise in microengineering, materials and biomechanics has allowed his research interests to cover a wide range of biomedical activities, from designing miniature medical devices to investigating complex cell behaviour such as adhesion, proliferation and migration on microfabricated 3D scaffolds. Appointed as the School Sustainability Champion he has begun to focus on the areas of environmental impact, climate change and net zero. His expertise on biomaterials has been successful funded in developing new biodegradable wound dressings and medical wipes and he was recently awarded funds to look at the cost effectiveness and scalability of producing green hydrogen across Scotland.