Simon Harper

Background

About Simon Harper

I am a Professor in Computer Science, Head of Postgraduate Research for Computer Science, a University Senator, a Member of the General Assembly and a member of the University Examinations Board. I am a Fellow of the British Computer Soc, a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering Technology, and an Association of Computing Machinery Distinguished Scientist. My previous work has resulted in a number of works of significant impact; indeed, ACM President Alexander Wolf described his work as having “singular impacts on the vital field of computing” and his “achievements have had a significant influence on the social, economic and cultural areas of daily lives all over the world” My work is centred on understanding, predicting and influencing a user’s behaviour in the digital and real worlds. This means identifying behaviours and using technology to enable: interface adaptation, changes in behaviour, or disease progression monitoring; and involves both passive and active sensing typically via digital phenotyping utilising mobiles and wearables. My contributions lie in the development of adaptive user models of extreme users and/or extreme environments. My current work is focused on Type 1 Diabetes and Congenital Hyperinsulinism, creating a multi-disciplinary team across the NHS, Diabetes UK, FBMH, and the Manchester Diabetes Institute; training new post graduate researchers (eight), and initiating a path to faster impact via the 'MelonTech' Startup, currently in stage 3 with UoMInnovationFactory securing early funding for our initial pilots. As well as my career-long work in accessibility, particularly profound blindness. Past work involves longitudinally passively and actively sensing Parkinson’s Disease progression in the wild; on the Sentient Tracking Of Parkinson’s project (funded by the Academy of Finland ICT 2023 programme) Along with the University of Oulu. I am also working on conversational interfaces for people with mental health conditions (EPSRC); an MRC Confidence in Concept and MRC Proximity to Discovery Industry Secondment working together across domains with academics in Psychological Sciences on longitudinally sensing Parkinson’s Disease progression in the wild collaborating with Philips Healthcare, Docobo, and Care Innovations. As well as an MRC grant working together with Health Sciences on the early diagnosis of lung cancer in collaboration with Roy Castle Foundation. In addition, I am a named investigator on the EPSRC - NIHR HTC Partnership Award; and, I led the NeuroD Network via an EPSRC Connect Health Grant.