Shaun Lawson

Shaun Lawson is a leading expert in the field of social computing, currently serving as the Head of the Department of Computer and Information Sciences at Northumbria University and the Director of the UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Citizen-Centered Artificial Intelligence. He was the first professor in the UK dedicated to social computing, a title he has held since 2011. Lawson's interdisciplinary research spans computing, design, and social sciences, with a particular focus on social media and collaborative participatory digital services in contemporary society. His research interests include mental health & wellbeing, politics, social activism, animal behavior, and sustainability. He has led research projects totaling over £12 million in funding and authored more than 200 peer-reviewed academic papers. Shaun was also the founding chair of the British chapter of SIGCHI and is an official member of the EPSRC and ESRC Peer Review College.

• 2015–Present·Northumbria University·Professor of Social Computing, Head of Computer and Information Sciences
  • Leads the Advancing Computational Social and Digital Citizenship excellence initiative, oversees the NorSC research team, and serves as Director of the Citizen-Centered AI Doctoral Training Centre.
• 2005–2015·University of Lincoln·Founder and Lead of the Social Computing Research Centre
  • Established and led the Lincoln Social Computing (LiSC) research centre focused on designing and studying social media and collaborative applications.

• 1990–1996·University of Surrey·PhD
  • Automated industrial detection of flaws in radiographic and ultrasonic imaging
• 1987–1990·Newcastle University·Bachelor's in Electronic and Electrical Engineering