Mike Simpson

Dr Mike Simpson has been part of the Newcastle University RSE Team since it was founded in 2019. He is an experienced and adaptive software engineer, with years of experience collaborating with researchers from a range of disciplines and institutions.

After graduating with a BSc in Computing and an MSc in Computer Games Engineering, he worked as a Games Programmer at a local studio before returning to the university for his PhD. His thesis, titled “Real-time Simulation of Rail Vehicle Dynamics”, involved using software and development practices from the games industry to develop and evaluate real-time 3D engineering simulations. He completed his PhD in 2017 and went on to work in the Digital Institute as a Research Associate before becoming an RSE in 2019.

Since joining the Institute, he has contributed to dozens of research projects across multiple domains, including projects with the NHS and the Alan Turing Institute. He has co-authored several papers and presented his work at a number of events all over the world. He has also taught ‘Introduction to Software Development’ on the Institute of Coding’s Degree Apprenticeship in Software Engineering and delivered Software Carpentry training.

Mike has been an active member of the wider RSE community. He was part of the organising committee for the RSE Conference in 2022 and 2023, a mentor in the Society of Research Software Engineering’s Mentoring Programme, became a Trustee of the Society and was elected Vice President in 2024. In 2025, he was awarded a Fellowship by the Software Sustainability Institute to work on supporting Mental Health in the Research Software community.

His research interests include the use of 3D graphics and games industry technologies for applications such as gamification in education and healthcare, virtual simulation and interactive data visualisation. He also has experience in web development and software engineering in a range of programming languages and domains. His other interests include Photography and 3D modelling, as well as reading and writing fiction. He also runs a blog where he discusses a range of topics, from video games to mental health, and has written for the team, the RSE Society and the SSI.