Professor Marc Roper
Computer and Information Sciences
Personal statement
My research is primarily focused on the area of software engineering, and in particular the development and evaluation of techniques to support the construction and evolution of more reliable and robust software systems. A common theme in much of this work is the application of machine learning to software engineering problems; for example, to automatically generate program test data, predict software project costs, perform intrusion detection, identify the root location of faults within systems, and automatically detect software system failures. The latter of these in particular makes extensive use of a range of both semi-supervised and unsupervised (clustering) machine learning algorithms to detect anomalous entries in large very high-dimensional and complex data sets. More recently I have also been turning my attention to the converse problem of testing AI systems.
My expertise and interests in machine learning extend outside the software engineering domain and I have employed clustering and classification algorithms in a variety of other contexts such as the automatic identification of potential road accident blackspots from crowdsourced smartphone sensor data, and the detection of objects within images.
I also have extensive experience of using machine learning in a variety of industrial projects such as forecasting customer buyer behaviour, predicting building energy performance, and modelling interventions to combat sedentary behaviour.
Area of Expertise
- Software Engineering (particularly design, testing and debugging)
- Data Analytics
- Machine Learning
- Conducting empirical studies of software engineering techniques and processes
- Search-based software engineering
- Software analytics (static analysis, dynamic analysis and repository mining)
Prize And Awards
- Best paper award
- Recipient
- 21/9/2023
Publications
- Prototype distance ratio sampling for generalised few shot object detection
- Lekkas Alessandro, Roper Marc, Abel Andrew
- Pattern Recognition Letters (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.patrec.2026.03.014
- Exploring the barriers and opportunities for a more predictive data-driven telecare service : qualitative study in Scotland
- Dunlop Emma, Kernaghan David, Weir Natalie, Kavanagh Kimberley, Roper Marc, Lennon Marilyn
- JMIR Formative Research Vol 10 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.2196/85056
- Decision support in cardiac surgery : early exploration of requirements with cardiac anesthetists and surgeons
- Lapp Linda, Bouamrane Matt-Mouley, Roper Marc, Kavanagh Kimberley, Schraag Stefan
- Digital Health and Informatics Innovations for Sustainable Health Care Systems 34th Medical Informatics Europe Conference Studies in Health Technology and Informatics Vol 316, pp. 1827-1831 (2024)
- https://doi.org/10.3233/shti240786
- Predictive data analytics in telecare and telehealth : systematic scoping review
- Anderson Euan, Lennon Marilyn, Kavanagh Kimberley, Weir Natalie, Kernaghan David, Roper Marc, Dunlop Emma, Lapp Linda
- Online Journal of Public Health Informatics Vol 16, pp. 37-50 (2024)
- https://doi.org/10.2196/57618
- SHEPHERD : a digital blueprint for drone based logistic networks
- Filippi Gianluca, Patelli Edoardo, Basu Tathagata, Personage Ben, Maddock Christie, Fossati Marco, Roper Marc, Vasile Massimiliano
- 34th European Safety and Reliability Conference. , pp. 77-86 (2024)
- Development and validation of a digital biomarker predicting acute kidney injury following cardiac surgery on an hourly basis
- Lapp Linda, Roper Marc, Kavanagh Kimberley, Schraag Stefan
- JTCVS Open Vol 16, pp. 540-581 (2023)
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjon.2023.09.023
Teaching
Over my career I have taught a lare range of classes, from 1st year undergraduate to postgraduate, mainly on areas related to programming, software engineering, software design, data analytics and machine learning.
My main current teaching responsibilities are:
- CS409: Software Architecture and Design (jointly with Dr. Murray Wood) [syllabus and myplace page]
- CS547: Advanced Topics in Software Engineering [syllabus and myplace page]
Recent previous teaching responsibilities include:
- CS971: Evolutionary Computation For Finance [syllabus and myplace page]
- CS985/CS985 (Fundamentals of) Machine Learning for Data Analytics [syllabus and myplace page]
I am also responsible for overseeing the MEng final year group project:
- CS546: Group Project [syllabus]
Research Interests
- Software engineering
- Machine Learning
Professional Activities
- Pilot Workshop at a Primary School
- Advisor
- 18/11/2025
- Strategic Themes: Applied AI Workshop
- Participant
- 17/1/2025
- Chief External Examiner, Heriot-Watt University, School of Mathematical and Computer Science
- Examiner
- 2023
- Clinical Trials Data Workshop
- Organiser
- 17/11/2022
- IEEE International Conference on Artificial Intelligence Testing (AITest)
- Chair
- 23/8/2021
- IEEE International Conference On Artificial Intelligence Testing (AITest)
- Chair
- 3/8/2020
Projects
- AI in Early Learning: Building Foundations for AI Literacy in Primary and Early Years Education
- Nikou, Stavros (Principal Investigator) Anderson, Damien (Research Co-investigator) Arnott, Lorna (Co-investigator) Roper, Marc (Academic)
- The project will explore pupils and teachers understanding and experiences with AI aiming to enhance their AI literacy levels and develop AI-focused curriculum resources.
- 30-Jan-2025 - 31-Jan-2025
- Sentinel Trauma Mobile App
- Kirk, Alison (Principal Investigator) Cogan, Nicola (Co-investigator) Roper, Marc (Co-investigator) Terzis, Sotirios (Co-investigator)
- New budget, new PI (following 221084)
- 01-Jan-2025 - 31-Jan-2029
- £12,262,72k HaSS Bridging Disciplines: "Predicting healthy ageing and age-related disorders using the UK Biobank Database" Successfully funded
- McGeown, William (Principal Investigator) Mavroeidi, Alexandra (Principal Investigator) Parra Rodriguez, Mario (Co-investigator) Brown Nicholls, Louise (Co-investigator) Rasmussen, Susan (Co-investigator) Robertson, David (Co-investigator) Tse, Dwight (Co-investigator) Kirk, Alison (Co-investigator) Hafford-Letchfield, Trish (Co-investigator) Rattray, Nicholas (Co-investigator) Bushell, Trevor (Co-investigator) Gould, Gwyn (Co-investigator) GANGANNAGARIPALLI, Jaheedabegum (Co-investigator) Carswell, Hilary (Co-investigator) Tate, Rothwelle (Co-investigator) Kurdi, Amanj (Co-investigator) Lennon, Marilyn (Co-investigator) Moshfeghi, Yashar (Co-investigator) Roper, Marc (Co-investigator) McConnell, Gail (Co-investigator) Kerr, Andy (Co-investigator) Li, David (Co-investigator) Thomson, Avril (Co-investigator) Campbell, Gerard (Co-investigator) Vourganas, Ioannis (Co-investigator) Clark, Ruaridh (Co-investigator) Macdonald, Malcolm (Co-investigator)
- HaSS Bridging Disciplines.
Successfully funded for access to UK Biobank:
The overarching aim of the application is to investigate the predictors (e.g., lifestyle, neuroimaging metabolic and genetic) of healthy ageing (e.g., cognitive, physical and mental health in older age).
Our objectives are to identify the contribution of predictors (lifestyle, medication-related, neuroimaging, metabolic, and genetic) of the following outcomes, that occur at greater frequency in older age:
1) Cognitive impairment (e.g., due to normal ageing or neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke)
2) Poor physical health (e.g., osteoporosis, diabetes, falls and fractures)
3) Poor mental health (e.g., anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation) - 08-Jan-2023 - 09-Jan-2025
- KTP - Coolside Ltd t/a Trtl. Development of a platform to proactively determine and address ongoing counterfeiting and unauthorised product distribution
- Roper, Marc (Principal Investigator) Dickson, Alexander (Co-investigator) Wallace, William (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2022 - 28-Jan-2025
- EPSRC IAA: Investigating the Viability of using Historical Data to Support Optimal Contract PRicing for TBR Global Chauffeuring
- Roper, Marc (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2022 - 31-Jan-2026
- AI and blockchain for construction, mining and infrastructure companies - Hypervine / Data Lab
- Roper, Marc (Principal Investigator) Roberts, Jen (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2022 - 31-Jan-2022
Contact
Professor
Marc
Roper
Computer and Information Sciences
Email: marc.roper@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 548 3595