Tong Sun is Professor of Sensor Engineering and Director of Research Centre of Photonics and Instrumentation at City University of London in the UK. Key areas of her research, as reflected in her ~300 peer-reviewed international journal and conference publications, include innovative designs of a range of optical fibre sensors for physical, chemical and biological measurements, addressing challenges arising from the built environment, energy sector and transportation. Her breadth of research includes the development of a suite of optical fibre sensors and sensor networks for i) structural condition monitoring, ranging from concrete bridges, limestone buildings, through marine propellers, to railway current-collecting pantograph and electric motors for more-electric-aircraft; ii) environmental monitoring, from a sewer system, through automotive emission, soil contamination to nuclear waste condition monitoring; iii) enhanced safety and security through detection of drug/explosives, ‘smell of fear’ and early fires.