Please report any queries concerning the funding data grouped in the sections named "Externally Awarded" or "Internally Disbursed" (shown on the profile page) to
your Research Finance Administrator. Your can find your Research Finance Administrator at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/finance/research/rs-contacts.php by entering your department
Please report any queries concerning the student data shown on the profile page to:
Email: portico-services@ucl.ac.uk
Help Desk: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ras/portico/helpdesk
Email: portico-services@ucl.ac.uk
Help Desk: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ras/portico/helpdesk
› More search options
Prof Mel Slater
619
Malet Place Engineering Building
Department of Computer Science
London
WC1E 6BT
Appointment
- Emeritus Professor of Virtual Environments
- Dept of Computer Science
- Faculty of Engineering Science
Biography
Mel Slater became Professor of Virtual Environments at University College London in 1997 in the Department of Computer Science. He was a UK EPSRC Senior Research Fellow from 1999 to 2004 at UCL, during which time he worked on the virtual light field approach to computer graphics, and he set up the virtual reality Cave system at UCL. Twenty two of his PhD students have obtained their PhDs since 1989. In 2005 he was awarded the Virtual Reality Career Award by IEEE Virtual Reality
"In Recognition of Seminal Achievements in Engineering Virtual Reality". He holds a Senior ERC grant entitled "Transcending Reality: Activating Virtual Environment Responses through Sensory Enrichment
(TRAVERSE)". His main work is in the area of understanding how people respond to experiences in immersive virtual environments and associated technology in computer graphics and human-computer interaction, and also representation of self in immersive virtual environments. Since 2006 he has been part-time at UCL and is otherwise at the University of Barcelona.
"In Recognition of Seminal Achievements in Engineering Virtual Reality". He holds a Senior ERC grant entitled "Transcending Reality: Activating Virtual Environment Responses through Sensory Enrichment
(TRAVERSE)". His main work is in the area of understanding how people respond to experiences in immersive virtual environments and associated technology in computer graphics and human-computer interaction, and also representation of self in immersive virtual environments. Since 2006 he has been part-time at UCL and is otherwise at the University of Barcelona.
Research Groups
Research Themes


Research Summary
The main research focus has been on the technology of computer graphics, in particular real-time global illumination methods, for which an EPSRC Senior Fellowship was held between 1994 and 2004. The major research focus since the 1990s has been immersive virtual reality, mainly concentrating on human factors aspects such as how the sense of presence is maintained, meaning the circumstances under which people will respond realistically in such environments. More recently research has focussed on how virtual reality may be exploited in the fields of psychology and neuroscience, in particular in understanding the mechanisms by which the brain represents the body.
A major contribution has been in a number of novel applications of virtual reality - in particular, to psychotherapy (fear of public speaking, social phobia), social psychology (a reproduction of the Milgram Obedience experiments), and moral psychology (how people respond to moral dilemmas).
Mel Slater has led and currently leads a number of European funded projects on the interdisciplinary theme of virtual environments, neuroscience and psychology.
A major contribution has been in a number of novel applications of virtual reality - in particular, to psychotherapy (fear of public speaking, social phobia), social psychology (a reproduction of the Milgram Obedience experiments), and moral psychology (how people respond to moral dilemmas).
Mel Slater has led and currently leads a number of European funded projects on the interdisciplinary theme of virtual environments, neuroscience and psychology.
Teaching Summary
Mel Slater has taught widely in the area of computer science and statistics, ranging from statistical methods, computer architecture, computer graphics and virtual environments. His specialist teaching was in computer graphics and virtual environments. He has not been engaged in full time teaching since 2006, but still carries out occasional lectures.
Appointments
01-JAN-2006 | ICREA Research Professor | ICREA, Spain | |
01-OCT-2005 | Professor of Virtual Environments (P/T) | Computer Science | UCL, United Kingdom |
01-JAN-1998 – 30-MAY-1998 | Visiting Scientist | Research Laboratory of Electronics | MIT, United States |
01-OCT-1997 – 30-SEP-2005 | Professor of Virtual Environments | Computer Science | UCL, United Kingdom |
01-OCT-1995 – 30-SEP-1997 | Reader in Computer Graphics | Computer Science | University College London, United Kingdom |
01-OCT-1993 – 30-SEP-1995 | Head of Department | Computer Science | Queen Mary and Westfield College, United Kingdom |
01-OCT-1992 – 30-SEP-1995 | Reader in Computer Science | Computer Science | Queen Mary and Westfield College, United Kingdom |
01-JAN-1991 – 30-JUN-1992 | Visiting Professor | Computer Science Division | University of California Berkeley, United States |
01-JAN-1981 – 30-SEP-1993 | Lecturer | Computer Science | Queen Mary and Westfield College, United Kingdom |
Academic Background
2002 | Doctor of Science | University of London | |
1975 | Master of Science | London School of Economics and Political Science | |
1970 | Master of Arts (Sociology) | University of Essex | |
1969 | Bachelor of Science (Economics) | London School of Economics and Political Science |