Skip navigation

Prof Shaun Lawson

Head of Department

Department: Computer and Information Sciences

Shaun is Professor of Social Computing and Head of the Department of Computer & Information Sciences at Northumbria University. He leads the Northumbria Social Computing (NorSC) research group. Prior to joining Northumbria in November 2015, he founded and led, for 10 years, the Lincoln Social Computing (LiSC) Research Centre at the University of Lincoln. His research lies at the boundaries between computing, design and the social sciences, and explores the use and significance of social media, and other collaborative and participatory digital services, in people’s lives. This includes a focus on the design, implementation and evaluation of new social platforms, applications and services as well as analysis of text, speech and image data. He was appointed the UK’s first Professor in Social Computing in 2011. He has conducted applied and cross-disciplinary work in areas including mental health and wellbeing, politics, activism, animal behaviour and sustainability. He has held, as PI, grants totalling over £2.5 million from funders such as EPSRC, ESRC, the EU, Microsoft Research, as well as industry, and is the co-author of over 150 peer-reviewed publications, including 12 full CHI papers[1] in the last three years. He is the founding chair of the UK’s SIGCHI chapter, a full member of both EPSRC and ESRC Peer Review Colleges and a visiting Professor in Computer Science at UCL.


[1] note that the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (or simply CHI) is the flagship international venue for publishing research related to human computer interaction

Shaun Lawson

Campus Address

Room 215
Pandon Building


  • Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
  • Embedding Thinking Strategies within a Tangible Tree to Orchestrate Small Group Brainstorming, Melniczuk, A., Kang, N., Lawson, S. 11 Feb 2024, TEI 2024 - Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction, New York, ACM
  • Designing Technology-Mediated Peer Support for Postgraduate Research Students at Risk of Loneliness and Isolation, Harrison, D., Rowland, S., Wood, G., Bakewell, L., Petridis, I., Long, K., Vasileiou, K., Barnett, J., Barreto, M., Wilson, M., Lawson, S., Vines, J. 7 Mar 2023, In: ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction
  • Social Media and Migration Studies, Mahoney, J., Lawson, S., Ambrosetti, E., Bertel, D., Leonardelli, E. 28 Apr 2023, 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2023
  • Towards real-time and large-scale web accessbility, P. Carvalho, L., Guerreiro, T., Lawson, S., Montague, K. 22 Oct 2023, ASSETS '23, New York, US, ACM
  • Ethical considerations in social media analytics in the context of migration: lessons learned from a Horizon 2020 project, Mahoney, J., Le Louvier, K., Lawson, S., Bertel, D., Ambrosetti, E. 1 Jul 2022, In: Research Ethics
  • The ethics of social media analytics in migration studies, Mahoney, J., Le Louvier, K., Lawson, S. 1 Jun 2022, Information and Communications Technology in Support of Migration, Cham, Switzerland, Springer
  • A systematic review of physical–digital play technology and developmentally relevant child behaviour, Torres, P., Ulrich, P., Cucuiat, V., Cukurova, M., Fercovic De la Presa, M., Luckin, R., Carr, A., Dylan, T., Durrant, A., Vines, J., Lawson, S. 1 Dec 2021, In: International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction
  • Development of an ethical roadmap, Craig, C., Wallace, J., Montague, K., Koulidou, N., Fisher, H., Carvalho, L., Groot, L., Trueman, J., Lawson, S., Morrissey, K., Duncan, T., South, J. 31 May 2021, In: Design for Health
  • Lanterns: Configuring a Digital Resource to Inspire Preschool Children's Free Play Outdoors, Dylan, T., Durrant, A., Çerçi, S., Lawson, S., Vines, J. 6 May 2021, Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, New York, ACM
  • Broadening Exposure to Socio-Political Opinions via a Pushy Smart Home Device, Feltwell, T., Wood, G., Brooker, P., Rowland, S., Baumer, E., Long, K., Vines, J., Barnett, J., Lawson, S. 21 Apr 2020, Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI’20): April 25–30, 2020, Honolulu, HI, USA, New York, ACM

  • Jamie Mahoney Engaging Social Media Users: Understanding Online Interactions in a Retail Context Start Date: 14/10/2016 End Date: 20/05/2021
  • Thomas Feltwell Agonistic Interfaces: Prompting Debate And Reflection On Socio-Political Issues Using Digital Technology Start Date: 01/03/2017 End Date: 03/03/2021
  • Selina Sutton How to conduct sociophonetics research in online public video Start Date: 01/03/2017 End Date: 28/09/2021
  • Effie Le Moignan The Family Snapshot: Parental Representations of Family and Children on Instagram Start Date: 01/06/2017 End Date: 24/10/2019
  • Garry Elvin Supporting mental health online in student populations Start Date: 01/06/2019
  • Andrew Turnbull The application of the Theory of Constraints in the Operation of Information Systems Start Date: 01/10/2018
  • Chloe Kliman-Silver Dogs in the Digital Age: Redefining the Canine-Human Connection through Technology Start Date: 01/10/2019

  • Mechanical Engineering PhD June 30 1996
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering BEng (Hons) June 30 1990
  • Member British Computer Society (BCS) 2005


a sign in front of a crowd
+

Northumbria Open Days

Open Days are a great way for you to get a feel of the University, the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the course(s) you are interested in.

Research at Northumbria
+

Research at Northumbria

Research is the life blood of a University and at Northumbria University we pride ourselves on research that makes a difference; research that has application and affects people's lives.

NU World
+

Explore NU World

Find out what life here is all about. From studying to socialising, term time to downtime, we’ve got it covered.


Latest News and Features

academic Jennifer Aston pictured in a law library holding an open book
Launch of The Regeneration Shop in Chopwell. Sarah Cotton, Senior Programmes Manager at Chopwell Regeneration Group; Jennine Wilson, Lecturer in Fashion and Senior Technician at Northumbria University; Hal Convery, Shop Manager at The Regeneration Shop; Crystal Hicks, Executive Director of Chopwell Regeneration Group; Gayle Cantrell, Assistant Professor BA Fashion Communication at Northumbria University; Sophie Wetherell, Assistant Professor BA Fashion / MA Fashion Design at Northumbria University; Emma Jane Goldsmith Assistant Professor BA Fashion / MA Fashion Design at Northumbria University; Professor Anne Peirson-Smith, Head of Fashion at Northumbria University.
Mooting
A new toolkit has been developed to support rural communities with the development of renewable energy projects. Photo: Adobe Stock
From left to right: Natalie Winchester, Subject Lead Health and Social Care and Post-16 Raising Standard Leader at Bede Academy, Dr Julie Derbyshire – Director of Apprenticeships and Assistant Professor in Nursing at Northumbria University, Andrew Thelwell – Principal at Bede Academy, Professor Alison Machin, Head of Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health at Northumbria University and pupils from Bede Academy.
British Military Uniform
More news

Back to top