Dr Laura Morgan

Laura Morgan is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Print Research (CFPR), UWE Bristol, where she leads the Material Futures Lab. She joined CFPR in 2019 appointed a Wallscourt Fellowship in Design and Material Futures, following doctoral and postdoctoral research at Loughborough University and De Montfort University. Her design-led research sits at the intersection of textile design, materials science and digital fabrication, with a focus on developing sustainable alternatives to conventional textile colouration and finishing processes.

A textile designer by training, Laura's experience across industry and academia continue to inform her research which explores how bio-derived materials and digitally controlled textile processes can be combined to support lower-impact and regenerative approaches to textile production. This includes the development of novel colouration methods, such as laser-assisted dyeing techniques, alongside broader research into bio-digital textile systems, traceability and circular design approaches.

Laura has led and delivered a number of funded research and knowledge exchange projects, including a Vice-Chancellor’s Early Career Researcher Award, AHRC Impact Acceleration Account funding, working in collaboration with industry partners across the textile supply chain, and contract research developing bio-derived dyes for digital inkjet printing with the Colourette, funded by the Dyers Company. Her work has been disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, international conferences and exhibitions, including World Expo 2020 (Dubai) and Future Fabrics Expo Platforms (London, Shanghai, Munich, New York, and Brussels). Her research is published in edited volumes  by Bloomsbury and Springer, and journals such as the Journal of Textile Design Research and Practice, and the Journal of Cleaner Production.

She contributes to postgraduate teaching and doctoral education at UWE as a PhD supervisor and Director of Studies, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Laura is an Editorial Board member of the International Journal of Sustainable Fashion & Textiles, a member of the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship Peer Review College, and a co-founder of the Textile Intersections conference and exhibition series.