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Computing, artificial
intelligence and IT
Taught courses
Essentials
Computers are becoming aware of their
surroundings: who is using them, where they are,
what interfaces are available, how much energy
they consume and the semantics of the data
they process. Together these advances lead to
challenges of a scale that dwarfs the problems
computer science has solved up to now.
Taught courses
MSc in Advanced Computer Science
MSc in Computing with Digital Media
MSc in Evolutionary and Adaptive Systems
MSc in Human-Computer Interaction
MSc in Information Technology with Business and Management
MSc in Intelligent Systems
MSc in Management of Information Technology
Research courses
MPhil, PhD in Cognitive Science
MPhil, PhD in Informatics
If you are a non-EEA or Swiss national student
applying for a research degree, you must allow
sufficient time for your University application
to be considered and processed in time
for you to apply for clearance from the UK
Government’s Academic Technology Approval
Scheme (ATAS) and a Tier 4 student visa (if
appropriate)
Scholarships, fees and living costs
Refer to pages 24 and 173-174, and visit
www.sussex.ac.uk/study/money
Contact us
MSc in Computational Mathematics (p126)
MSc in Digital Communication Systems (p89)
MSc in Embedded Digital Systems (p89)
Informatics, PG Admissions,
University of Sussex, Falmer,
Brighton BN1 9QJ, UK
T +44 (0)1273 678195
E [email protected]
www.sussex.ac.uk/informatics
Entry requirements
Open Days
For information on overseas qualifications,
refer to pages 168-170. Also refer to
Additional entry information, listed with
relevant course entries
MSc in Computing with Digital Media, MSc
in Management of Information Technology
A first or second-class undergraduate honours
degree. Mature applicants with relevant
experience will also be considered
MSc in all other subjects
A first- or upper second-class undergraduate
honours degree. Mature applicants with
relevant experience will also be considered
MPhil, PhD
A first- or upper second-class undergraduate
honours degree in a subject relevant to your
chosen area of research
Our Postgraduate Open Day will be held on 17
February 2016. The PhD Open Evening will be
held on 25 November 2015. We also run regular
campus tours. Call 01273 876787 or book
online at www.sussex.ac.uk/visitors
Related courses
English language requirements
IELTS 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each
section. For more information and alternative
English language requirements, refer to page
168
Pre-Masters for non-EU students
If your qualifications (including English
language) do not yet meet our entry
requirements for admission directly to
any of the MSc courses listed above (except
the MSc in Advanced Computer Science
and the MSc in Evolutionary and Adaptive
Systems), we offer a Pre-Masters entry route.
For more information, refer to page 36
66
Applications deadline
Key facts
• Sussex is ranked as one of the top UK
universities for research in computing in the
2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF):
all aspects of our research environment
were classified as either world leading or
internationally excellent.
• We have many successful business
collaborations, enabling our taught courses
to be informed by industry and facilitating
exciting research.
• Our students are highly employable, with
95 per cent of recent graduates’ job roles
being at professional or managerial level.
• Our portfolio of postgraduate courses is
designed to meet the needs of students who
want to develop a career in the IT industry and
those wishing to move into academia or a
research career.
• We provide an intellectually stimulating
environment with research in areas including
computer science and software systems,
digital media, e-business, human-computer
interaction, adaptive systems and artificial
life, cognitive systems, natural language
processing, and artistic and creative systems.
MSc in Advanced Computer Science
1 year full time/2 years part time
This MSc equips you to work with tomorrow’s
computer systems. Platforms may be mobile,
embedded, distributed, cloud-based or multicore, and require new techniques to make
software efficient, correct and reliable. Networks
may be wired or wireless, ad hoc or highly
planned, high bandwidth or slow and unreliable –
and overlaid with various applications and social
connections.
In order to meet these challenges successfully,
computing needs skilled scientists to be involved
in system design. This course connects with
research in the Department of Informatics,
while retaining very practical links with software
engineering and advanced networking issues,
and offers options in areas including multimedia,
web systems, security and business.
Additional entry information
Applicants with a good undergraduate honours
degree in computing, science, mathematics
or engineering with significant computing
experience are ideally suited to this course.
Career paths
This course equips you with the skills for a career
in software and systems design, including roles
requiring cutting-edge specialisation such as
in mobile or cloud computing. Employers of our
graduates include Accenture, BMW and Google.
This MSc is also ideal preparation for research in
academia or industry.
Course structure
Autumn term: Advanced Software Engineering
• Topics in Computer Science. You also choose
two options from Cryptography • E-Business
and E-Commerce Systems • Human-Computer
Interaction • Web Computing.
Spring term: Web Applications and Services.
You also choose three options from Adaptive
Systems • Advanced Digital Communication
• Image Processing • Machine Learning
• Multimedia Design and Applications
• Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments
• Web 3D Applications.
Summer term: you undertake supervised
work for the MSc dissertation. This may be
research or commercially driven, but usually
requires background research and a significant
practical element, which may be focused on a
software development, an experimental study or
theoretical analysis.
Computer science graduates who have
substantial overlap between prior modules
and those offered should enquire about an
alternative selection of options.
Assessment
You are assessed by coursework, unseen
examinations, essays, programming projects,
and a 12,000-word dissertation.
This MSc enables you to build web-based
distributed multimedia applications, computergenerated animations and interactive virtual
environments, emphasising the need to adopt a
human-centred approach.
The course is supported by the Media Technology
Laboratory, which provides state-of-the-art
digital facilities, software development tools,
multimedia content creation tools, studio
facilities and professional video-editing systems.
The Laboratory enables you to undertake
practical work assignments using facilities that
you would find in the modern digital media
industry.
Additional entry information
This course is for applicants intending to deepen
their understanding of technical digital media.
It is suited to those with a previous degree in
computer science, mathematics or the natural
sciences. Applicants with media degrees who
can demonstrate practical computing knowledge
will also be considered.
Career paths
Brighton is home to hundreds of digital media
companies. Our graduates have gone on to
pursue careers in web development, games
programming, e-learning production and 3D
modelling, and hold posts in digital media both
in Brighton and further afield. This MSc is also an
ideal entry point for PhD research in the field of
digital media.
Course structure
Autumn term: 3D Animation • 3D Modelling and
Rendering • Human-Computer Interaction
• Object-Oriented Programming (students with a
high level of programming experience may take
Advanced Software Engineering).
Spring term: Interactive 3D Programming
• Multimedia Design and Applications • Web 3D
Applications. You also choose one option from
Generative Creativity • Live Video Production
• Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments.
Summer term: you undertake supervised work
for the MSc dissertation, which should usually be
based on a multimedia programming project.
Assessment
You are assessed by coursework, group projects,
essays, software projects, programming projects
and a 12,000-word dissertation.
MSc in Evolutionary and Adaptive Systems
1 year full time/2 years part time
The study of natural and artificial evolutionary
and adaptive systems is at the heart of rapidly
developing areas, ranging from artificial
intelligence and autonomous robotics to
neuroscience, consciousness and cognitive
science.
MSc in Human-Computer Interaction
1 year full time/2 years part time
This course explores how to apply techniques
from cognitive science, psychology and software
engineering to the design, implementation and
evaluation of computing systems from a humancentred perspective. This MSc encompasses
user experience and interaction design.
Sussex is home to the Evolutionary and
Adaptive Systems (EASy) research group
which is renowned for its research in these
interdisciplinary areas.
Additional entry information
Applicants should have an interest in computing
systems from a human perspective and
should have an undergraduate background
in computing, or psychology, or a degree with
substantial computing or social-science content.
The course provides you with solid foundations
in key areas such as adaptive systems,
machine learning, biologically-inspired robotics,
computational neuroscience, evolutionary
computation and complex systems, as well
as the opportunity to take a range of options
in cutting-edge areas such as the science of
consciousness. We also provide introductory
courses in programming, enabling students from
computing and non-computing backgrounds to
access our specialist options.
This course was the first of its kind and remains
the gold standard in its area. You will be taught
by experts at the forefront of their fields and enjoy
many opportunities to interact with a thriving
community of active researchers.
Additional entry information
Applicants typically have a background in a
scientific or technical subject or other disciplines
requiring either numeracy or computer literacy.
Students from other backgrounds who can
demonstrate numeracy or computer literacy will
also be considered.
Career paths
This MSc will provide you with technical and
research skills sought after across a range of
careers. Many recent graduates have gone on
to PhD study at Sussex and other prestigious
universities and now work in academic or
industrial research. Others have established
careers in the software, entertainment and
financial sectors, working for major companies
such as DeepMind, Capgemini, IBM, Microsoft,
NaturalMotion and Sega, as well as successfully
setting up their own companies.
Course structure
Autumn term: Artificial Life • Intelligence in
Animals and Machines • Mathematics and
Computational Methods for Complex Systems
• Object-Oriented Programming (students with
sufficient programming experience may take
Intelligent Systems Techniques • Applied Natural
Language Processing • Advanced Software
Engineering)
Career paths
Our graduates work for a diverse range of
organisations from small companies to
multinationals such as Kineo, Stream Media,
HP, Eurotherm and American Express. Their roles
include customer experience executive, senior
application consultant, product development
executive and principal software engineer.
Others have set up web design, human factors
consultancy and new media businesses. Some
continue with doctoral study leading to research
and academic careers.
Computing, artificial intelligence and IT
MSc in Computing with Digital Media
1 year full time/2 years part time
Industries such as computer entertainment,
television, film and video production are
relying increasingly on computer-generated
digital media and virtual content. It is now
commonplace to use interactive digital media
in anything from teaching environments to
games and from websites to engineering design.
This involves not only the creation of digital
content but its implementation in an interactive
environment and its distribution over the diverse
kinds of networks available in today’s world.
Course structure
Autumn term: Human-Computer Interaction
• Object-Oriented Programming (students with
a high level of programming experience may take
Advanced Software Engineering) • Real-World
Cognition. You also choose one option from
Applied Natural Language Processing
• E-Business and E-Commerce Systems.
Spring term: HCI Advanced Topics
• Psychological Methods for System Evaluation
• Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments.
You also choose one option from Generative
Creativity • Multimedia Design and Applications.
Summer term: you undertake supervised work
for the MSc dissertation, a project in which you
either design and evaluate a human-centred
computer system or investigate an aspect of
interactivity.
Assessment
You are assessed by coursework, examinations,
essays, programming projects, group projects,
presentations and a 12,000-word dissertation.
Spring term: Adaptive Systems • Neural
Networks. Also two options from Computational
Neuroscience • Generative Creativity • Image
Processing • Machine Learning • Neuroscience
of Consciousness • Sensory and Motor
Functions of the Nervous System.
Summer term: you undertake a dissertation
project under the supervision of a member of
faculty, which is usually based on a programming
project. This gives you the opportunity to develop
further what you have learnt in the context of
a piece of research. It is not unusual for work
from dissertation projects to be published in
conference proceedings or journals.
Assessment
You are assessed by coursework, unseen
examinations, essays, programming projects
and a 12,000-word dissertation.
67
Computing, artificial intelligence and IT
MSc in Intelligent Systems
1 year full time/2 years part time
This MSc prepares you for research and
development in intelligent systems, covering
theoretical issues and practical techniques for
their design and implementation. Programming
skills are developed through an introductory
module in Java, enabling students from both
computing and non-computing backgrounds
to access a wide range of specialist options
commensurate with their experience.
You can choose to organise your studies around
these themes:
• a daptive systems
• a rtificial intelligence
• c reative systems
• c omputational neuroscience.
Alternatively, you can devise your own
interdisciplinary combination of modules
according to your personal interests.
Additional entry information
Applicants should have a background in
computing, cognitive subjects (such as
neuroscience, psychology, linguistics or
philosophy) or other disciplines requiring both
numeracy and computer literacy.
Career paths
Our graduates have gone on to pursue careers
in software development, systems analysis,
and technical communication. Employers of
our graduates include Logica, Sony, Siemens
and American Express. A high proportion of our
graduates go on to undertake research degrees
at Sussex and other prestigious universities.
Broadcast-quality lecture capture for experiments in digital pedagogy
MSc in Information Technology
with Business and Management
1 year full time/2 years part time
This course explores the many ways in which
information technology supports and enables
business and management activity and
processes. You can choose to organise your
studies around these themes:
• business and management
• human systems
• managing innovation
• software engineering.
Alternatively, you can devise your own
combination of modules according to your
personal interests.
Additional entry information
Applicants with a good background in computing,
information technology, engineering or other
subjects where programming is a key element
are suited to this course. Applicants with good
degrees in business or with relevant industrial
experience of programming have also been
successful.
Career paths
Many of our graduates have gone on to
careers in the banking and energy sectors,
while others have gone on to pursue careers
as IT consultants, project managers, software
professionals and other roles in the IT sector.
Employers of our graduates include HSBC,
Bangkok Bank, KPMG, G4 Analytics and RDF
Group. Successful completion of the degree
also opens up the opportunity for further study
at PhD level.
68
Course structure
Autumn term: Object-Oriented Programming
(students with a high level of programming
experience may take Advanced Software
Engineering) • E-Business and E-Commerce
Systems • Web Computing. You also choose one
option from Business and Project Management
• Change and Leadership • Human-Computer
Interaction • Intelligent Systems Techniques
• Management, Innovation and Organisational
Performance.
Spring term: Web Applications and Services
• Managing Complex Projects, Products and
Systems. You also choose two options from
Business in Context (Europe or Asia) • Critical
Perspectives on Management, Organisations
and Innovation • HCI Advanced Topics • ICT
Policy and Strategy • Machine Learning
• Multimedia Design and Applications
• Strategic Management.
Summer term: you undertake supervised work
for the MSc dissertation, which is based on a
substantial research project.
Assessment
Taught modules are assessed by a variety of
methods including coursework, presentations,
literature review, programming projects, unseen
examinations and term papers. The MSc project
is assessed by a 12,000-word dissertation.
Course structure
Autumn term: Applied Natural Language
Processing • Intelligent Systems Techniques
• Object-Oriented Programming (students with
a high level of programming experience may
take Advanced Software Engineering). You also
choose one option from Artificial Life
• Intelligence in Animals and Machines
• Mathematics and Computational Methods
for Complex Systems • Real-World Cognition
• Web Computing.
Spring term: Image Processing • Machine
Learning. You also choose two options
from Adaptive Systems • Computational
Neuroscience • Generative Creativity • Neural
Networks • Neuroscience of Consciousness
• Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments.
Summer term: you undertake a dissertation
project under faculty supervision. There may
be opportunities to collaborate in this with an
industrial partner. The dissertation offers scope
to specialise through research in a chosen
topic, and the work of some projects has led
to publication in journals and conference
proceedings.
Assessment
You are assessed by coursework, unseen
examinations, essays, programming projects,
group projects, presentations and a 12,000word dissertation.
You learn how to design, evaluate and
apply information technology systems in a
business setting – taking account of human,
organisational and strategic factors. You explore
the concepts and principles of IT systems and
their interfaces, and the theories and techniques
relating to the management of IT as an innovative
and strategic resource in an organisation. You
work on individual and group-based projects, and
develop skills in:
• researching current practice
• analysing IT system trends, methodologies and
interfaces
• communicating concepts, designs and
evaluation within a technical environment.
You will be engaged in a range of activities to
help your learning, including lectures, seminars,
discussions, directed reading, role play and peer
review.
This interdisciplinary course is taught jointly
in the Department of Informatics and the
Department of Business and Management,
by staff specialising in computer science and
information technology systems, as well as
management and technology innovation.
Additional entry information
Applicants should have an academic background
with substantial computing, information
technology, science, technology or businessrelated content.
Career paths
This MSc prepares you for roles requiring an
integrated understanding of the internal and
external business context, the factors influencing
successful IT innovation, the opportunities
presented by new kinds of information
technology in business, and the successful
planning and deployment of IT systems.
There is a global shortage of IT professionals. This
course provides a strong theoretical and practical
preparation for a career in this area.
Course structure
Autumn term: Change and Leadership
• E-Business and E-Commerce Systems
• Human-Computer Interaction • Management
Innovation and Organisational Performance
• Personal and Professional Development.
Spring term: Business in Context (Europe or Asia)
or Business Context in Emerging Economics
• HCI Advanced Topics • Managing Complex
Projects and Systems • Strategic Management.
Summer term: you undertake supervised work
for the MSc dissertation.
Assessment
Assessment methods include unseen
examinations, reports of various lengths,
individual and group presentations, and learning
diaries.
Computing, artificial intelligence and IT
MSc in Management of Information
Technology
1 year full time/2 years part time
This MSc equips you with the skills to analyse
information technology needs and to devise
innovative solutions in companies and other
organisations with complex and demanding
information technology (IT) system requirements.
Part-time courses
The part-time structure for each course is
as follows:
Year 1: in each of the autumn and spring terms
you take two modules. In the summer term you
undertake work on the dissertation.
Year 2: in each of the autumn and spring terms
you take two modules. In the spring and summer
terms you complete work on the dissertation.
Research courses
MPhil, PhD in Cognitive Science
MPhil, PhD in Informatics
As a research student, you are associated with
one or more research groups in the Department
of Informatics and allocated a computer and
working area in comfortable shared offices.
You have full access to your research group’s
specialist facilities and laboratories.
The Department is engaged in a wide range of
highly rated research, covering many areas of
artificial intelligence, computer science and
cognitive science. We can supervise in all areas
of faculty specialism.
Applicants wishing to pursue interdisciplinary
research involving artificial intelligence (AI),
including computational philosophy of mind or AI
of biology, may apply to do research degrees in
cognitive science.
Career paths
Many of our graduates have continued in
academia as postdoctoral researchers,
lecturers and assistant professors at institutions
throughout the UK and worldwide. Other
graduates have embarked on careers in industry
as scientific officers, project leaders, managers,
developers and system analysts in a diverse
range of businesses from small specialist outfits
to multinational companies such as Morgan
Stanley and Microsoft.
Measuring changes in the brain’s activity using
electroencephalography (EEG) and transcranial
magnetic stimulation techniques
Academic activities
Research students make a substantial
contribution to the research output of the
Department of Informatics, and frequently
present their work at conferences and in
journals.
Postgraduate students are encouraged to attend
and give talks in the various specialised seminar
series in the Department. In addition to the
seminar series run by each research group, there
are seminar series run by other disciplines and
the interdisciplinary research centres, which
students regularly attend.
Recent thesis titles
A framework for the design, prototyping and
evaluation of mobile interfaces for domestic
environments
An inertial motion capture framework for
constructing body sensor networks
Automated reasoning for reflective programs
Research/industry links
Research is motivated by social, economic
and industrial needs. Strong links have been
developed with local and national industry – not
least because most practical problems requiring
research also demand an interdisciplinary
approach. These relationships are further
exemplified in the University’s Innovation Centre,
where several of the companies are drawing on
research carried out at Sussex.
Bio-inspired approaches to the control and
modelling of an anthropomimetic robot
Supervision and review of progress
Students are assigned two supervisors for the
duration of their studies. They meet their primary
supervisor regularly on an informal basis, and for
a documented review meeting every month. A
formal review of progress is conducted each year.
Data-driven techniques for animating virtual
characters
Research training
Students admitted to research courses take a
Research Skills Development module in their
first two terms, which is specifically designed
for students in the School of Engineering and
Informatics. In addition, specific MSc modules
may be recommended to enhance your subject
knowledge where necessary.
The University’s Doctoral School runs a wide
range of training courses covering the needs of
students throughout all phases of their studies.
Visit www.sussex.ac.uk/doctoralschool
Biometric storyboards: a games user research
approach for improving qualitative evaluations of
player experience
Chaotic exploration and learning of locomotor
behaviours
Cognitive modelling of complex problem-solving
behaviour
Evaluating computational creativity: a
standardised procedure for evaluating creative
systems and its application
Evaluation of the usability of constraint diagrams
as a visual modelling language
Graph-based approaches to word sense
induction
Individual differences in synaesthesia: qualitative
and fMRI investigations on the impact of
synaesthetic phenomenology
Model development and analysis techniques for
epidemiological and neurobiological dynamics
on networks
Module hierarchy and centralisation in the
anatomy and dynamics of human cortex
Neuronal oscillations, information dynamics, and
behaviour: an evolutionary robotics study
Video analytics for security systems Research
groups
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Computing, artificial intelligence and IT
Research groups
Faculty research interests include:
Research is a core activity of the Department
of Informatics and is organised around four
interdisciplinary research groups. Our research
often entails collaborations between the groups,
as well as with other academic schools at
Sussex and external academic, institutional and
commercial partners. The research groups are
briefly described below (for more details, visit
www.sussex.ac.uk/informatics).
Dr Luc Berthouze Mathematical neuroscience,
networks, dynamical systems, motor
development.
Cognitive and Language Processing
Systems
The research of this group addresses the
science and engineering of complex systems for
cognitively demanding, and data- and languageintensive domains, including the integration
of methods from cognitive science, natural
language engineering and machine learning.
Areas of specific interest include classifying large
volumes of natural language text (eg free text in
medical records), mining opinions from social
media, developing machine learning methods
for non-standard learning settings, creating
novel visualisations of large and complex
datasets, cognitive modelling of processes
such as attention and graphical production,
and designing cognitively informed interactive
tools for complex problem-solving and decision
making.
Dr Chris Buckley Modelling cognition from a
situated, embodied and dynamic perspective.
Dr Ron Chrisley Non-conceptual
representation; philosophy of cognitive science,
AI, mind, consciousness, computation.
Professor Phil Husbands Evolutionary and
adaptive robotics, evolutionary computation,
ALife, computational neuroscience.
Professor Thomas Nowotny Information
processing in nervous systems, sequence
learning in neuronal systems.
Dr Andy Philippides Computational
neuroscience and neuroethology, evolutionary
robotics, insect visual homing strategies.
Professor Anil Seth Theoretical neuroscience
and evolutionary and adaptive systems,
consciousness science.
Dr Chris Thornton Computational learning
using symbolic algorithms and connectionist
mechanisms, and theories of creativity.
Faculty research interests include:
Foundations of Software Systems
Professor John Carroll Natural language
parsing, acquiring knowledge about words from
text, sentiment analysis, clinical text mining.
This group is interested in the theory and practice
of future computation and communication. We
build mathematical theories of computation
and use such models to inform the design of
programming languages and compilers. We
design and evaluate distributed applications
and services that provide the foundations of the
pervasive computing infrastructure and other
software systems. We model and analyse data
representing system configurations, social
networks, trust, and provenance.
Professor Peter Cheng The cognitive science
of representational systems, processes of writing
and drawing.
Dr Bill Keller The use of language technology
to support communication and interaction,
language-aware technology.
Dr Novi Quadrianto Machine learning for
internet-scale applications, non-parametric
structured prediction, kernel methods.
Professor David Weir Controlling nondeterminism in natural language generation,
language in pervasive computing environments.
Faculty research interests include:
Dr Martin Berger Concurrency theory, semantics
and pragmatics of programming languages,
program logics, metaprogramming.
Dr Sharon Wood Multi-agent systems, cognitive
modelling, knowledge-based reasoning.
Dr Ian Mackie Applying techniques from
mathematical logic and quantum mechanics to
programming language implementation.
Evolutionary and Adaptive Systems
(EASy)
Dr George Parisis Datacentre networking and
storage, information-centric networking, publish/
subscribe systems, distributed systems.
The EASy group has been internationally
prominent since it was established in the early
1990s. It is concerned with the interfaces
between the biological and computational
sciences, particularly with reference to furthering
understanding of brains and minds. The group’s
research is interdisciplinary and involves many
strong links with other departments at Sussex.
Research foci include adaptive and cognitive
robotics, artificial life, bio-inspired computational
methods, computational neuroscience,
creative systems, history and philosophy of
AI and ALife, clinical applications of neural
modelling, scientific studies of consciousness,
and synthetic neuroethology. It runs the
highly successful Centre for Computational
Neuroscience and Robotics (CCNR) jointly
with Sussex Neuroscience in the School of Life
Sciences. Members of the group also direct the
Centre for Research in Cognitive Science (COGS)
and the Sackler Centre for Consciousness
Science (SCCS), both major cross-campus
initiatives.
70
Professor Margaret Boden Computational
approaches in the philosophy of mind and
psychology, purpose and creativity.
Dr Bernhard Reus Mathematical semantics of
programming languages and their foundations;
constructive logic.
Dr Ian Wakeman Networks and distributed
systems, emphasis on design from the user
perspective, pervasive computing.
Interactive Systems
This group is concerned with the interfaces
between humans and digital technology. We
investigate interaction in the broadest sense, and
consider it in relation to both traditional desktopbased technology and also more recent digital
technologies – including mobile, immersive,
ubiquitous and pervasive computing.
We are interested in all types of user, ranging from
experts using technology in their work (such as
medical professionals) and experts developing
technology for their work (such as programmers)
to people using technology for entertainment and
leisure purposes (such as gamers) and to novices
of all kinds (from children using educational
technology to adults using social technology).
Our current research focuses on areas including
human-centred design, computer graphics,
technology-enhanced learning, digital heritage,
motion-sensing technologies, digital content
creation, digital economy and data analytics.
Faculty research interests include:
Dr Natalia Beloff New models of e-business,
business models for small and medium digital
enterprises, adver-gaming.
Dr Judith Good Constructivist learning
environments, game-based learning, technology
toolkits for learning.
Dr Kate Howland Game creation for learning,
interactive storytelling, external representations
in educational software.
Professor Ann Light Interaction design, digital
tools in mobile and ubiquitous contexts.
Dr Paul Newbury Multimedia systems, virtual
prototyping, digital content creation, technologyenhanced learning.
Dr Marianna Obrist Touch and touch-less
interaction with technology, smell and taste
interaction modalities.
Dr Phil Watten Virtual prototyping, high-level
design, system modelling, display systems,
media production, web broadcasting.
Dr Martin White 3D graphics, virtual, augmented
and mixed reality, animation, motion sensing,
motion gaming, digital heritage systems.
Interdisciplinary research centres
The Department plays a central role in the
following major interdisciplinary research centres:
Centre for Computational Neuroscience
and Robotics (CCNR)
CCNR is a collaboration between the Department
of Informatics and the School of Life Sciences.
This thriving centre seeks to explore and exploit
the interfaces between the biological and
computational sciences. CCNR is jointly run by
the Evolutionary and Adaptive Systems group.
Centre for Research in Cognitive
Science (COGS)
COGS is an internationally recognised centre
for interdisciplinary investigation into the
nature of cognition, be it natural or artificial.
Members include researchers and students in
artificial intelligence, psychology, linguistics,
neuroscience and philosophy.
Sackler Centre for Consciousness
Science (SCCS)
SCCS is a collaboration between the Department
of Informatics, the School of Psychology, and
Brighton and Sussex Medical School. The
Centre’s aim is to unravel the complex neural
mechanisms underlying conscious experience
by bringing together computational modelling,
cognitive neuroscience, and clinical applications.