Ruth Thompson

Ruth Thompson is a part-time Lecturer in Computing at Canterbury Christ Church University within the Department of Computing, AI and Cyber Security, a position she has held since 2021. Teaching at 0.4 FTE, she instructs undergraduate students in applied mathematics and Python programming.

Her educational background includes:

• MSci in Physics from University College London, with a Masters project using atomic force microscopy at the London Centre for Nanotechnology to image DNA fragments (analyzed with Matlab).
• Currently completing a PhD in Biodiversity Management at the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, supervised by Dr David L Roberts and Prof Julio Hernandez-Castro.

Her research interests are centered on the application of machine learning for wildlife conservation, specifically detecting illegal online wildlife trade using Python. This builds on her past work in structural biology and image analysis of DNA fragments. She also has experience teaching coding skills to postgraduates and researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.

No scientific awards are listed. During her PhD studies, she served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for three years at the University of Kent, gaining experience in teaching and student support.