Meet the Digital Worlds Theme Lead

Learn more about Dave Topping.

"When we frame digital tools as an ecology, we draw on natural-system concepts to reveal how software, hardware, data, people, and the wider environment co-evolve.

As Director of Digital Worlds, I’m excited to grow this perspective across the full breadth of the University’s research, positioning our work at the forefront of local, national, and international agendas." - Dave Topping

 

Originally trained as a physicist at UMIST and awarded a PhD in atmospheric aerosol thermodynamics, David has spent more than 20 years exploring and expanding the digital ecology that underpins environmental science.

His work ranges from modelling molecular processes to weaving Generative AI into end-to-end research workflows, always with an eye on how technology, data and people co-evolve. David sits on the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Science Committee, co-authored NERC’s first Digital Strategy, and advises public bodies such as DEFRA on the responsible use of AI in regulation.

Through NERC’s Digital Solutions programme he collaborates with local authorities, the UK Health Security Agency, the Environment Agency and the NHS, helping them integrate environmental data at scale to answer pressing societal questions. At the interface between ideas and hands-on implementation, David partners with technology providers, from specialist instrument companies to NVIDIA, ensuring that cutting-edge capabilities align with the real-world needs of researchers and decision-makers. 

From first-year undergraduates to postgraduate innovators, David designs curricula that fuse emerging research with end-user challenges, preparing graduates for a fast-moving digital landscape. He also mentors a diverse cohort of doctoral researchers working at the intersection of climate, computation and society, nurturing the next generation of scholars who will shape our digital environment.