Professor Ruth Morgan

Prof Ruth Morgan holds a bachelors degree in Geography and a D.Phil in Forensic Geoscience from the University of Oxford. She is a Full Professor of Crime and Forensic Science at UCL and the Founder and Director of the UCL Centre for the Forensic Sciences. Her research take a broad view and seeks to bring an understanding of environment and society together. Her focus on the interpretation of forensic science evidence has led to her research group addressing questions about the transfer and persistence of trace materials (such as sediments, residues, fingermarks and DNA) so that it is possible to understand what a trace means in a crime reconstruction context, as well as seeking to understand how experts make decisions and derive meaning from materials that can become intelligence for investigators or evidence for court proceedings.  

Professor Ruth Morgan is currently Vice Dean (Interdisciplinarity Entrepreneurship) at the University College London (UCL) Faculty of Engineering Sciences. She is leading interdisciplinary work across the faculties of Engineering and the Arts and Humanities, that seeks to create innovative ways for meaningful engagement across disciplines, and between universities and business and industry, in a range of persistent global challenges areas such as security, technology, justice, health and education. 

Professor Ruth Morgan is three times winner of the Chartered Society of the Forensic Sciences PW Allen award for excellent research, a member of the World Economic Forum’s Young Scientists community, and a member of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council. She was the Specialist Adviser to the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee for their inquiry into Forensic Science (2018-19). She is a member of the Editorial Board for Frontiers Policy Labs and is part of the Scientific American and World Economic Forum Steering Group for the annual ‘Top 10 Emerging Technologies’. Ruth is a regular speaker and commentator on the role of science in policy (including a TED talk), and is a strong advocate for enabling interdisciplinary approaches that bring diverse ways of thinking, seeing and doing to address global challenges. 

Professor Ruth Morgan acts as a Female Science Role Model within the Falling Walls Female Science Talents. She is passionate about bringing diverse thinking to challenges, and the importance of diversity for excellent research that has impact in the real world.  “We will only be able to tackle global challenges in meaningful ways at the global and local scale if we have diverse teams and perspectives.  Diversity in STEM is so important because research and innovation that does not consider the full diversity of our societies from the articulation of a research question to the presentation of the research findings, is not going to be able offer outcomes that are accessible and relevant to every part of society.”