Dr Russell Lock

  • Reader in Information Modelling

Research groups and centres

Dr Russell Lock is a Reader in the Department of Computer Science at 黑料网, and associate member of the . 

Following completion of his PhD at Lancaster University, in 2005 Russell moved to St Andrews University, taking a research post on the EPSRC INDEED project. As part of a team of researchers from St Andrews & Edinburgh Russell performed observations of complex socio-technical systems, including the Scottish Elections in 2007, to examine how changes in approach can affect training, trust and problem solving activities. In 2010 Russell took a permanent position as a lecturer at 黑料网 within the department of Computer Science.

His current research interests include socio-technical systems design/modelling/analysis, and sensor data gathering and analysis. The research Russell completes is applied with an emphasis on bridging the gap between academic theory and industrial practice. Along these lines a number of current/recently completed projects are detailed below to give a flavor of the research contribution Russell makes to the Computer Science Department.

Current

  • Russell is currently contracted to as a Software Sustainability consultant.
  • Russell is CI on the £1.1m  project, a EPSRC project in collaboration with Imperial College London, Heriott-Watt University, ABB Power Grids Ltd, and Technical Simulation Consultants Ltd. This project aims to provide a step change in the decarbonisation of the chemical sector, by modelling the manufacturing and usage of chemicals by industry.
  • Russell is CI on the 550k '' project, a AHRC-DFG joint research project in collaboration with the  (English National Ballet), and  at the University of Bremen. The project involves working alongside academics in the School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering School (Prof ), and the School of Arts, English and Drama (Dr ) to improve the software applications available for the archival, understanding and choreographic development of ballet. In this project Russell is making use of sensor suits to capture the semantic meaning of ballet dance movement prior to its interpretation through machine learning algorithms. The research is working towards the establishment of a new area of research, Kinesemiotics, the meaning of movement, which has potential applications across the arts, training and healthcare.

Recently completed

  • Russell was CI on the 54k Gamma Optical Video Imaging (GOVI) project funded by the Sellafield GameChangers Programme. Working alongside PI Dr Sarah Bugby this innovative project explored the development of user interfaces/data visualisations for hazardous environments, building upon the use of Gamma video imaging in the medical domain.
  • Russell was also PI on a 179k  with , a factory based roof construction business alongside Dr Sergio Cavalero, within the School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering. The project involved process optimisation within their room-in-roof building product.
  • Russell has recently completed a 107k  with , a design agency in Winchester alongside . The project involves using Augmented Reality and AI to visualise virtual objects in real world settings to improve marketing and sales for a major furnishings company.
  • Russell has also recently completed a 262k NERC project looking a software support for flood management in Indonesia, working alongside Prof Alistair Milne

Research areas

  • Information Modelling
  • Socio-technical Software Engineering
  • System of System design, modelling and analysis
  • Requirements Engineering
  • Risk Management
  • Sensor technology

My approach to research is interdiscplinary, socio-technical and above all pragmatic. If I need to interview a 100 people to understand a problem, or apply knowledge from completely different disciplines to solve it I will. I work in a broad set of areas, and industry sectors. For me the challenge is developing, applying, and modifying appropriate technology and processes to solve real world problems. 

  • EPSRC College Reviewer 
  • Reviewer for the Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO - Dutch Research Council)
  • Journal paper reviewer (selected)
    • Elsevier Future Generation Computer Systems 
    • Elsevier Journal of Information Security and Applications
    • Elsevier International Journal of Project Management
    • Elsevier International Journal of Information Management
    • Elsevier Journal of Information Security & Applications
    • Routledge Studies in Higher Education
    • IEEE Technology & Society Magazine
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • PhD/EngD Examiner (internal/external)
  • Chair & Organiser of BCS SQM 2015
  • Programme committee: INNS-CIIS 2014, CAiSE 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 (International Workshop on Enterprise & Organizational Modeling And Simulation), SDOT 2015, INNS-CIIS workshop 2014, IEEE CBI 2016 
  • Associate Member of the 

Supervision

I welcome PhD applications based on the research areas listed. I recommend contact by email before submission of proposals to the department.