Professional Qualifications:
1998 BSc Physics                                                    University of Dundee 
1999 MSc (Distinction) Information Technology   University of Abertay Dundee
2006 PhD Ecological Modelling                            University of Abertay Dundee
2010 PGCERT HET                                                University of Abertay Dundee            

Professional Employment History:
2017 - present               Head of Division: Games Technology & Maths
2014 - 2017                   Senior Lecturer in Modelling and Visualisation
2006 - 2014                   Lecturer in Modelling and Visualisation
1999 - 2006                   Teaching Fellow, School of Computing and Creative Technologies

Head of Games Technology & Mathematics Abertay University

Head of CreaTech Futures, CoSTAR National Lab  

Team Subject expertise: VFX, distributed computing, network rendering, 5G, game development, hardware acceleration GPU optimisations, HPC, technical art, procedural content generation 

Professor Ruth Falconer is Head of Department where she leads and evolves the Game and Creative Technology provision. She has a proven track record in delivering research with impact and she champions the transformative power of game technologies, realtime 3D and distributed rendering to develop interactive visual simulations to address challenges across sectors. She has > 80 peer reviewed outputs and in the last 7 years secured £9.5 million in research income. She is an Editor for the International Journal of Game Technology and an adjunct Professor at Ontario Tech University. Her wider team has expertise in game development, next generation networking technologies, virtual production and generative AI. 

Ruth leads the  CreaTech Futures at the National Lab at Pinewood studios focusing on combining high performance graphics, AI, distributed computing and next generation networking. This convergence will deliver richer and more connected interactive virtual worlds for the future. 

CMP502 Graphics Programming

GRS501 Research Methods

CMP201 Data Structures & Algorithms I

CMP202 Data Structures & Algorithms II

I also supervise Hons and MSc projects in the areas of: Procedural Content Generation, Complex Systems in Games, Parallel Programming and GPGPU applications.

I have a BSc in Physics, MSc in IT and a PhD in computation ecology. My research is interdisciplinary and initially focussed on environmental problems (e.g.using  sustainablity and nexus  approaches) that involve spatio-temporal and/or other multi-dimensional complexity. Numerical modelling, simulation, analysis and visualisation are critical components of this research that I implement using scripting, native programming, API’s and “engines” (Matlab/R/C#/C/C++/DirectCompute/Unity) as appropriate to achieve project goals. My research interests include the application of games technology (using GPGPU, games engines and related infrastructure) for computation and visualisation to industry relevant and scientific problems.  

2023 - 2029 Principla Invetsigator (Abertay) CoSTAR National Lab. £54M. AHRC

2020 - 2022 Principal Investigator (Abertay) on SmARtview: SmARtview - An AI-powered Augmented Reality Tool for Animal Health and Productivity. Falconer, R., Sloan, R. J. S. & Szymkowiak, A. UK Research and Innovation: £75,000.00

2020 - 2022 Co-Investigator on My Cancer MAI Care (Phase 2) Kang, K. L., Bown, J. & Falconer, R. Macmillan Cancer Support: £204,033.19.

2017– 2019 Principal Investigator (Abertay) on Modelling the resilience of below-ground microbial communities. RCUK (NERC): £220K; Abertay share £25K. NE/P014208/1.

2016 – 2019 Principal Investigator (Abertay) on Modelling the Water-Energy-Food Nexus: STEPPING UP. RCUK: (EPSRC): 1.4M; Abertay share £178K. Work Package Leader. EP/N00583X/1.

2015 – Present    Co-Investigator on Sustainable methods to supply clean water to Scotland’s rural communities. CREW: £35K.

2014 – Present     Principal Investigator on AGRI-AP: Applied Graphics and Rendering Innovation for Agricultural Precision. TSB £17K

2013 – Present   Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D.    Building Information Models (BIM) and Interactive Visualisation. SFC - (HEFC) £10,000

2013 – Present   Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D.   Investigating web based game technologies (webGL and openCL) for generating optimized fertilizer and lime maps. SAGES  £11,434

2013 - Present    Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D.     3D visualization for TAYplan strategic landuse planning. TayPlan £8,000

2013 – Present   Blackwood D, Gilmour D, Isaacs J & Falconer R.       Scottish Water Sector Overview Map for CREW (Center of Expertise for Water. CREW  £60,000.

2013 – 2013       Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D    Maximising passive solar gain: A physically based simulation and rendering approach. SFC - (HEFC) £10,000

2013 – Present  Co-Investigator on Development of a potato breeding interactive decision-making  tool: combining sensory and consumer science data (INTERFACE-AGRICO £60,000)

2012 - Present      Principal Investigator on developing and testing geovisualisation approaches for understanding multiple benefits from Scottish agricultural systems. Scottish Government and UAD funded (£74,000).

2012 - Present      Undergraduate Carnegie scholarship -  GPGPU implemenation of microbial dynamics model (£1000)

2012 - Present  Nuffield scholarship - Promoting 3D quantification of microbial biomass with respect to physical  architecture. (£1000)

2009 - Present       Co-Investigator, Multiscale Modelling and Emergent Properties of Microbial Degradation of Soil Organic Matter. ANR - France  (671,902 euro). 

2009 - Present      Principal Investigator on developing an Agent based Model for the effect of land management decisions on the sustainability of urban/rural interface. Scottish Alliance of Geoscience, Environment and Society: SAGES (£50,000).

2011 - Date          Simulation and Visualisation of  St Andrews Sand Dunes, for Fife Countryside Trust (£29,000)   .

2011 - Date          Sustainability Assessment and Visualisation of the Dunfermline Edge Development, for Fife Council. (£10,000).

2009 - Present      Co-investigator, Sustainability Enhancement and Visualisation of Dundee Waterfront, for Dundee City Council (£40,000). 

2008 - Present      Co-investigator, DC Noise – Demographic Change: New opportunities in shrinking Europe, EU Interreg project (UAD share £102,000). 

2008 - Present      Co-Investigator for developing an interactive simulation and visualisation tool for urban sustainability (UAD funded, £50,000) 

2008 - 2011          Co-Investigator, Phosphates Life Cycle Management, for UK Water Industry Research Limited.  Lead Researchers - Consultants Atkins Ltd. (UAD share, £15,000).  

2007 -  2011        Co-Investigator on the EPSRC project “Biological metaphors and crisis: building self healing, emergence and resilience into critical infrastructures” (EP/E062865: £366,002).  

2007 -  2008         Co-Investigator on investigation into fungal-inspired network protocols.           Norman Fraser Design Trust (£9,000).

2004                       “Inside Nature using Xray micro Computed tomography”. BBSRC: £2000

Editorial, Board, Committee & Reviewer Roles

• Editor for International Journal of Computer Games Technology (Nov 2021 - present)

• Women in Games Executive Board membership  (May 2018 - Present)

• CPHC: Council of Professors and Heads of Computing in UK membership  (August 2017 - Present)

• Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Business and IT, at Ontario Tech       University (Oct 2020 - Oct 2023)

• Sicsa Committee: Abertay representative on SICSA committee (August 2018 - Present)

• Editorial Board Member for Scientific Reports  (Jan 2015 - Present)

• Associate Editor for SSSAJ: Soil Physics (Jan 2014 – Dec 2019)

• Guest Editor Special Issue - Engineering Education on Geosciences in a Changing World - In Journal of Engineering Education (2013).

• Expert reviewer for  European Commission: Marie Sklodowska -Curie Innovative Training Network Grants and Individual Fellowship Grants: Engineering and Informatics Panel (2016 – present).

• Annually review 12-16 manuscripts for peer reviewed journals, 2-3 RCUK proposals and book chapters.

Invited Talks & Panel Events

1. RE Falconer (2018) Women in Gaming: The Next Generation. A UK-Italy dialogue on the future of video games. Organized by British Embassy Rome, UK Science & Innovation Network and Women in Games Rome. Villa Wolkonsky the British Embassy Rome. 20/11//2018.
2. RE Falconer (2018) Education Panel with ReFIG. European Women in Games Conference. London City University. 12/9/2018.
3. RE Falconer & V Stojanovic. (2015) Computational Modelling and Visualisation of Environmental Systems. 5/10/2015. CEH Edinburgh.
4. RE Falconer. (2015) SAVE: Data, Information and Viz Tools. ESCOM Conference 7-8th May 2015. University of Edinburgh.
5. RE Falconer. (2014) A Modelling and visualization framework for understanding ‘below-ground ‘fungal  ecology. FIRA Institute Henan China.
6. RE Falconer (2014) Modelling and visualization framework for understanding ‘below-ground ‘fungal        ecology. SGM Annual Meeting. Loughborough.
7. Falconer, RE. Pore scale modelling of microbial degradation. Workshop in 3D Imaging and Applications in Geosciences, University of Abertay Dundee  8/10/2013.
8. Blackwood, D & Falconer. RE - A monitoring framework for sustainable development. Improvement Services Scottish Government.  18/1/2013
9. Blackwood D & Falconer RE. Stakeholder Engagement via Immersive Visualisation. Exeter University, 10th Jan 2012
10. Falconer, RE, Battaia, G and Otten,W. (2012) A pore scale model of Soil Organic Matter (SOM) dynamics and microbial colonisation. EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts 14, 8182, Vienna, 24/4/2012.
11. Ruth Falconer. "3D Visualisation – Promoting The Development” House Building In Fife: “Building Relationships" Fife Council, Kirkcaldy, 28/11/2012.
12. Blackwood, D, Isaacs, J., & Falconer RE. Stakeholder Engagement via Immersive Visualisation – Scottish Government, 24th November 2011.
13. Falconer R. E. Interactive Visualisation for Sustainability @ Revealing Research in partnership with RCUK Digital Economy Programme, Pecha-Kucha. Dundee Science Centre, 9th November 2011.
14. Blackwood D & Falconer RE. Stakeholder engagement through immersive visualisation technologies James Hutton Institute, 20th September 2011
15. Falconer, RE and Otten, W (2010). From soils to.... University of Abertay Research Conference. 'The fundamental interconnectedness of all things'. Dundee, 15/9/2010.
16. Ruth E Falconer and Wilfred Otten (2010). From soils to.... University of Abertay Research Conference. 'The fundamental interconnectedness of all things'.
17. Ruth E. Falconer. (2009) Integrating techniques: Modelling fungal community dynamics in heterogeneous soil, SIMBIOS, University of Abertay Dundee, UK. At  Micro Soil: Integrating Biological, Physical and Chemical techniques for the study of soil micro-habitats.
18. Ruth Falconer and Jim Bown (2009). Fungi for pervasive adaptive systems. Centre for Emergent Computing. Edinburgh Napier University. 11th Feb 2009.
19. Ruth E. Falconer (2009) Modelling fungal growth in heterogeneous soil: analyses of the effect of soil physical structure on fungal community dynamics. Soils Complex and Non Linear Systems theme,  22nd April 2009. European Geoscience Union, Vienna, Austria.
20. Perada Summer School. Bio-inspired Models Ruth E Falconer, University of Abertay Dundee, UK Emma Hart, Centre for Emergent Computing, Edinburgh Napier University, UK Ben Paechter, Centre for Emergent Computing, Edinburgh Napier University, UK. September 2008.
21. Sessions organised (involved organising speakers)
22. Ruth Falconer and Nia White (2010) Modelling Fungal Colonies and Communities. International Mycological Congress 9 The Biology of Fungi Edinburgh, UK. 1-6 August.
23. Ruth Falconer, Invitation to European Geosciences Union (2010) Vienna 2-7 May 2010.Co-convenor of a session on Contemporary Education in Engineering and the Geosciences and paper presentation: Ruth Falconer, John Isaacs, and David Blackwood. Using interactive 3D visualisation to educate stakeholders in urban sustainability.

External Examinations
2017 PhD external examination. Guillermo Vidal Diez de Ulzurrun of Ghent University. "Fungal growth modelling and assessment: towards a three-dimensional spatially explicit fungal growth model"
2015 PhD external examination. Rory McMullan of Ulster University. The Computational Modelling of large Scale Predator-Prey Systems.
2011 PhD transfer external examination. Steven Hopkins of  Glamorgan University. A Hybrid Mathematical Model of Fungal Mycelia: Tropisms, Polarised Growth and Application to Colony Competition

2015 – 2018   Co-I (Abertay) on Water-Energy-Food Nexus: STEPPING UP. EPSRC. 1.4M Manchester University lead; Abertay share £178K

2015 – Present    Co-Investigator on Sustainable methods to supply clean water to Scotland’s rural communities. CREW: £35K.

2014 – Present     Principal Investigator on AGRI-AP: Applied Graphics and Rendering Innovation for Agricultural Precision. TSB £17K

2013 – Present   Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D.    Building Information Models (BIM) and Interactive Visualisation. SFC - (HEFC) £10,000

2013 – Present   Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D.   Investigating web based game technologies (webGL and openCL) for generating optimized fertilizer and lime maps. SAGES  £11,434

2013 - Present    Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D.     3D visualization for TAYplan strategic land use planning. TayPlan £8,000

2013 – Present   Blackwood D, Gilmour D, Isaacs J & Falconer R.       Scottish Water Sector Overview Map for CREW (Center of Expertise for Water. CREW  £60,000.

2013 – 2013       Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D    Maximising passive solar gain: A physically based simulation and rendering approach. SFC - (HEFC) £10,000

2013 – Present  Co-Investigator on Development of a potato breeding interactive decision-making  tool: combining sensory and consumer science data (INTERFACE-AGRICO £60,000)

2012 - Present      Principal Investigator on developing and testing geovisualisation approaches for understanding multiple benefits from Scottish agricultural systems. Scottish Government and UAD funded (£74,000).

2012 - Present      Undergraduate Carnegie scholarship -  GPGPU implemenation of microbial dynamics model (£1000)

2012 - Present  Nuffield scholarship - Promoting 3D quantification of microbial biomass with respect to physical  architecture. (£1000)

2009 - Present       Co-Investigator, Multiscale Modelling and Emergent Properties of Microbial Degradation of Soil Organic Matter. ANR - France  (671,902 euro). 

2009 - Present      Principal Investigator on developing an Agent based Model for the effect of land management decisions on the sustainability of urban/rural interface. Scottish Alliance of Geoscience, Environment and Society: SAGES (£50,000).

2011 - Date          Simulation and Visualisation of  St Andrews Sand Dunes, for Fife Countryside Trust (£29,000)   .

2011 - Date          Sustainability Assessment and Visualisation of the Dunfermline Edge Development, for Fife Council. (£10,000).

2009 - Present      Co-investigator, Sustainability Enhancement and Visualisation of Dundee Waterfront, for Dundee City Council (£40,000). 

2008 - Present      Co-investigator, DC Noise – Demographic Change: New opportunities in shrinking Europe, EU Interreg project (UAD share £102,000). 

2008 - Present      Co-Investigator for developing an interactive simulation and visualisation tool for urban sustainability (UAD funded, £50,000) 

2008 - 2011          Co-Investigator, Phosphates Life Cycle Management, for UK Water Industry Research Limited.  Lead Researchers - Consultants Atkins Ltd. (UAD share, £15,000).  

2007 -  2011        Co-Investigator on the EPSRC project “Biological metaphors and crisis: building self healing, emergence and resilience into critical infrastructures” (EP/E062865: £366,002).  

2007 -  2008         Co-Investigator on investigation into fungal-inspired network protocols.           Norman Fraser Design Trust (£9,000).

         2004                       “Inside Nature using Xray micro Computed tomography”. BBSRC: £2000

2013 – Present   Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D.    Building Information Models (BIM) and Interactive Visualisation. SFC - (HEFC) £10,000

2013 – Present   Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D.   Investigating web based game technologies (webGL and openCL) for generating optimized fertilizer and lime maps. SAGES  £11,434

2013 - Present    Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D.     3D visualization for TAYplan strategic landuse planning. TayPlan £8,000

2013 – Present   Blackwood D, Gilmour D, Isaacs J & Falconer R.       Scottish Water Sector Overview Map for CREW (Center of Expertise for Water. CREW  (£60,000).

2013 – 2013       Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D    Maximising passive solar gain: A physically based simulation and rendering approach. SFC - (HEFC) £10,000

2013 – Present  Co-Investigator on Development of a potato breeding interactive decision-making  tool: combining sensory and consumer science data (INTERFACE-AGRICO £60,000)

2012 - Present      Principal Investigator on developing and testing geovisualisation approaches for understanding multiple benefits from Scottish agricultural systems. Scottish Government and UAD funded (£74,000).

2012 - Present      Undergraduate Carnegie scholarship -  GPGPU implemenation of microbial dynamics model (£1000)

2012 - Present  Nuffield scholarship - Promoting 3D quantification of microbial biomass with respect to physical  architecture. (£1000)

2009 - Present       Co-Investigator, Multiscale Modelling and Emergent Properties of Microbial Degradation of Soil Organic Matter. ANR - France  (¿671,902). 

2009 - Present      Principal Investigator on developing an Agent based Model for the effect of land management decisions on the sustainability of urban/rural interface. Scottish Alliance of Geoscience, Environment and Society: SAGES (£50,000).

2011 - Date          Simulation and Visualisation of  St Andrews Sand Dunes, for Fife Countryside Trust (£29,000)   .

2011 - Date          Sustainability Assessment and Visualisation of the Dunfermline Edge Development, for Fife Council. (£10,000).

2009 - Present      Co-investigator, Sustainability Enhancement and Visualisation of Dundee Waterfront, for Dundee City Council (£40,000). 

2008 - Present      Co-investigator, DC Noise – Demographic Change: New opportunities in shrinking Europe, EU Interreg project (UAD share £102,000). 

2008 - Present      Co-Investigator for developing an interactive simulation and visualisation tool for urban sustainability (UAD funded, £50,000) 

2008 - 2011          Co-Investigator, Phosphates Life Cycle Management, for UK Water Industry Research Limited.  Lead Researchers - Consultants Atkins Ltd. (UAD share, £15,000).  

2007 -  2011        Co-Investigator on the EPSRC project “Biological metaphors and crisis: building self healing, emergence and resilience into critical infrastructures” (EP/E062865: £366,002).  

2007 -  2008         Co-Investigator on investigation into fungal-inspired network protocols.           Norman Fraser Design Trust (£9,000).

         2004                       “Inside Nature using Xray micro Computed tomography”. BBSRC: £2000

Public understanding of science has always played a central role within my activities. This is illustrated in my involvement in activities during the UK Science week (funded by BBSRC), open days, and presentations to local schools, and café science events. For the last 5 years I have supervised Nuffield students during the summer period providing them with research experience. I also supervise Baccalaureate students. In the past I have received funding for and organised a Science week event: where 5 local schools visited Abertay University to participate in an interactive workshop on XRay CT. I have also proactively sought funding from BBSRC (local school coordinator capacity) and the Royal Institution and organised the content and speakers for two separate series of math masterclasses for secondary and primary schools.