People

Meet the researchers, champions, and collaborators driving AI innovation across the University of Southampton.

People

Our AI Experts

Dr Sagaya Amalathas (AI Champion, Delhi Campus)

Dr Sagaya Amalathas (AI Champion, Delhi Campus)

Associate Professor of Computer Science & Director of Learning and Teaching at the University of Southampton, Delhi campus

My research in Artificial Intelligence began with semantic web technology and ontology, and now focuses on building Large Language Models (LLMs) in the agricultural sector.

As an AI champion, I aim to strengthen UK-India collaboration and promote ethical, safe AI design, development, and deployment. I prioritize reliability, transparency, privacy, security, and accountability to ensure AI supports human values and societal well-being.

I believe that AI systems should advance technological capabilities while also fostering societal benefits and ensuring alignment with established human values

My research in Artificial Intelligence began with semantic web technology and ontology, and now focuses on building Large Language Models (LLMs) in the agricultural sector.

As an AI champion, I aim to strengthen UK-India collaboration and promote ethical, safe AI design, development, and deployment. I prioritize reliability, transparency, privacy, security, and accountability to ensure AI supports human values and societal well-being.

I believe that AI systems should advance technological capabilities while also fostering societal benefits and ensuring alignment with established human values

My research in Artificial Intelligence began with semantic web technology and ontology, and now focuses on building Large Language Models (LLMs) in the agricultural sector.

As an AI champion, I aim to strengthen UK-India collaboration and promote ethical, safe AI design, development, and deployment. I prioritize reliability, transparency, privacy, security, and accountability to ensure AI supports human values and societal well-being.

I believe that AI systems should advance technological capabilities while also fostering societal benefits and ensuring alignment with established human values

My research in Artificial Intelligence began with semantic web technology and ontology, and now focuses on building Large Language Models (LLMs) in the agricultural sector.

As an AI champion, I aim to strengthen UK-India collaboration and promote ethical, safe AI design, development, and deployment. I prioritize reliability, transparency, privacy, security, and accountability to ensure AI supports human values and societal well-being.

I believe that AI systems should advance technological capabilities while also fostering societal benefits and ensuring alignment with established human values

My research in Artificial Intelligence began with semantic web technology and ontology, and now focuses on building Large Language Models (LLMs) in the agricultural sector.

As an AI champion, I aim to strengthen UK-India collaboration and promote ethical, safe AI design, development, and deployment. I prioritize reliability, transparency, privacy, security, and accountability to ensure AI supports human values and societal well-being.

I believe that AI systems should advance technological capabilities while also fostering societal benefits and ensuring alignment with established human values

Professor Kate Borthwick (Lead, AI in Education)

Professor Kate Borthwick (Lead, AI in Education)

Professor of Digital Education in Languages, Cultures and Linguistics

I chair the University Digital Education Advisory Group and cross-institutional GenAI in education working group. I am also the Director of the University Open Online Course Programme and an award-winning lecturer and learning designer.

AI will change the way we conceive and deliver education, and this is both exciting and challenging! As part of AI@Southampton, I am working to ensure we critically embrace and contextualise how we develop and use AI for education to ensure our students are prepared to thrive in and shape an AI-enabled world.

I chair the University Digital Education Advisory Group and cross-institutional GenAI in education working group. I am also the Director of the University Open Online Course Programme and an award-winning lecturer and learning designer.

AI will change the way we conceive and deliver education, and this is both exciting and challenging! As part of AI@Southampton, I am working to ensure we critically embrace and contextualise how we develop and use AI for education to ensure our students are prepared to thrive in and shape an AI-enabled world.

I chair the University Digital Education Advisory Group and cross-institutional GenAI in education working group. I am also the Director of the University Open Online Course Programme and an award-winning lecturer and learning designer.

AI will change the way we conceive and deliver education, and this is both exciting and challenging! As part of AI@Southampton, I am working to ensure we critically embrace and contextualise how we develop and use AI for education to ensure our students are prepared to thrive in and shape an AI-enabled world.

I chair the University Digital Education Advisory Group and cross-institutional GenAI in education working group. I am also the Director of the University Open Online Course Programme and an award-winning lecturer and learning designer.

AI will change the way we conceive and deliver education, and this is both exciting and challenging! As part of AI@Southampton, I am working to ensure we critically embrace and contextualise how we develop and use AI for education to ensure our students are prepared to thrive in and shape an AI-enabled world.

I chair the University Digital Education Advisory Group and cross-institutional GenAI in education working group. I am also the Director of the University Open Online Course Programme and an award-winning lecturer and learning designer.

AI will change the way we conceive and deliver education, and this is both exciting and challenging! As part of AI@Southampton, I am working to ensure we critically embrace and contextualise how we develop and use AI for education to ensure our students are prepared to thrive in and shape an AI-enabled world.

Lorna Colquhoun (AI Champion, Professional Services)

Lorna Colquhoun (AI Champion, Professional Services)

Executive Director of Research & Innovation Services

In Research & Innovation Services, we support academic collaboration, industry engagement, knowledge exchange and impact development, including commercialisation. We help researchers secure funding, navigate ethics and integrity, and manage contracts. As an AI Champion, I’m excited to explore how AI can transform professional services. I’m an early adopter and advocate for safe, consistent use of AI. RIS has used AI to review research contracts for five years. I believe AI can reduce repetitive tasks, enabling staff to focus on adding value and helping the University work smarter, more creatively and more effectively.

Professor Rob Ewing (AI Champion, Faculty of Environment and Life Sciences)

Professor Rob Ewing (AI Champion, Faculty of Environment and Life Sciences)

Professor of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology

My research is focused on understanding the networks of interacting proteins and other molecules that underlie the complex biological systems that we see around us.


In human diseases, the connections within these networks are often altered, and therefore to understand the mechanisms driving human diseases, we need to understand the networks themselves.


This kind of science is data-rich, and the huge datasets involved require techniques such as machine-learning to analyse. In fact, this is now common across many areas of research in the life and environmental sciences.
A motivation for me to take up the role of AI Champion is to help guide the impact that AI will have across our faculty.

My research is focused on understanding the networks of interacting proteins and other molecules that underlie the complex biological systems that we see around us.

In human diseases, the connections within these networks are often altered, and therefore to understand the mechanisms driving human diseases, we need to understand the networks themselves.

This kind of science is data-rich, and the huge datasets involved require techniques such as machine-learning to analyse. In fact, this is now common across many areas of research in the life and environmental sciences.
A motivation for me to take up the role of AI Champion is to help guide the impact that AI will have across our faculty.

My research is focused on understanding the networks of interacting proteins and other molecules that underlie the complex biological systems that we see around us.

In human diseases, the connections within these networks are often altered, and therefore to understand the mechanisms driving human diseases, we need to understand the networks themselves.

This kind of science is data-rich, and the huge datasets involved require techniques such as machine-learning to analyse. In fact, this is now common across many areas of research in the life and environmental sciences.
A motivation for me to take up the role of AI Champion is to help guide the impact that AI will have across our faculty.

My research is focused on understanding the networks of interacting proteins and other molecules that underlie the complex biological systems that we see around us.

In human diseases, the connections within these networks are often altered, and therefore to understand the mechanisms driving human diseases, we need to understand the networks themselves.

This kind of science is data-rich, and the huge datasets involved require techniques such as machine-learning to analyse. In fact, this is now common across many areas of research in the life and environmental sciences.

A motivation for me to take up the role of AI Champion is to help guide the impact that AI will have across our faculty.

My research is focused on understanding the networks of interacting proteins and other molecules that underlie the complex biological systems that we see around us.

In human diseases, the connections within these networks are often altered, and therefore to understand the mechanisms driving human diseases, we need to understand the networks themselves.

This kind of science is data-rich, and the huge datasets involved require techniques such as machine-learning to analyse. In fact, this is now common across many areas of research in the life and environmental sciences.
A motivation for me to take up the role of AI Champion is to help guide the impact that AI will have across our faculty.

Professor Sunil Manghani (AI Champion, Faculty of Arts and Humanities)

Professor Sunil Manghani (AI Champion, Faculty of Arts and Humanities)

Professor of Theory, Practice and Critique

My work bridges critical theory, anthropology, image studies and interdisciplinary AI research, with a strong focus on inclusive practice and public engagement. I’ve led projects at Tate and co-founded the Electronic Life AI research studio. Becoming an AI Champion continues this commitment — supporting the Faculty’s triple-helix AI strategy by building communities of learning, growing capability, and shaping future-facing academic practice. Universities generate vast data, but we must do more to harness its potential — creating progressive, equitable and creatively engaged environments for research and learning.

Professor John McBeth (AI Champion, Faculty of Medicine)

Professor John McBeth (AI Champion, Faculty of Medicine)

Professor of Health Data Science

I am passionate about building bridges between medicine and computer science.


My goal as an AI Champion will be to highlight the scope and breadth of the excellent AI research already happening, to spot and disseminate exciting research and development opportunities in this space, and to bring together multidisciplinary groups that will develop novel solutions to some of the most urgent healthcare challenges we currently face.

I am passionate about building bridges between medicine and computer science.

My goal as an AI Champion will be to highlight the scope and breadth of the excellent AI research already happening, to spot and disseminate exciting research and development opportunities in this space, and to bring together multidisciplinary groups that will develop novel solutions to some of the most urgent healthcare challenges we currently face.

I am passionate about building bridges between medicine and computer science.

My goal as an AI Champion will be to highlight the scope and breadth of the excellent AI research already happening, to spot and disseminate exciting research and development opportunities in this space, and to bring together multidisciplinary groups that will develop novel solutions to some of the most urgent healthcare challenges we currently face.

I am passionate about building bridges between medicine and computer science.

My goal as an AI Champion will be to highlight the scope and breadth of the excellent AI research already happening, to spot and disseminate exciting research and development opportunities in this space, and to bring together multidisciplinary groups that will develop novel solutions to some of the most urgent healthcare challenges we currently face.

I am passionate about building bridges between medicine and computer science.

My goal as an AI Champion will be to highlight the scope and breadth of the excellent AI research already happening, to spot and disseminate exciting research and development opportunities in this space, and to bring together multidisciplinary groups that will develop novel solutions to some of the most urgent healthcare challenges we currently face.

Dr. Nora McIntyre (AI Champion, Faculty of Social Sciences)

Dr. Nora McIntyre (AI Champion, Faculty of Social Sciences)

Associate Professor of Educational Innovation

AI is transforming society and technology. As an AI Champion, I aim to foster cross-disciplinary engagement and support the University of Southampton’s leadership in reflective, responsible AI for societal good. My research focuses on advancing global educational equity through AI-powered technologies. I joined Southampton Education School in 2021 after founding a research centre for an AI-enabled learning platform and serving as Senior Research Associate at Cambridge on a flagship edtech programme for international development. I currently lead the RAi FATES of Africa project, which explores AI’s role in shaping inclusive futures for education across the continent.

Professor Mark Sullivan (AI Champion, Faculty of Engineering and Physical

Professor Mark Sullivan (AI Champion, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences)

Professor Mark Sullivan (AI Champion, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences)

Sciences)

Professor of Astrophysics

AI is a transformative force with wide-reaching societal impact, and the UK has identified it as a strategic priority. As AI Champion for FEPS, I’m committed to advancing collaborative research and innovation across the AI landscape, while promoting responsible and ethical use. With world-class expertise and infrastructure at Southampton, I’m especially focused on strengthening interdisciplinary links across faculties to address complex challenges in science, engineering, healthcare and society. Together, we can harness AI’s potential to drive meaningful progress and position the University as a national leader in reflective, impactful AI.

Our AI Experts

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Southampton

SO17 1BJ

United Kingdom

Connect with us

We're committed to improving the accessibility of our site. To find out more about how, please read our accessibility statement here

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University of Southampton

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SO17 1BJ

United Kingdom

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University Road

Southampton

SO17 1BJ

United Kingdom

Connect with us

We're committed to improving the accessibility of our site. To find out more about how, please read our accessibility statement here