Professor Zena Wood

About me:

Zena Wood is an Associate Professor in Digital Economy and Director of the Defence Data Research Centre (DDRC). 

Zena joined the Initiative for the Digital Economy (INDEX) in April 2019 and is based in their offices in South London. Prior to this she was employed by the University of Greenwich as a Senior Lecturer in Spatial Informatics.

Zena's background is in Computer Science with her research focusing on how value can be derived from datasets that would help understand the impact of digital transformation within the Digital Economy and the Defence sector. Her research interests include movement pattern analysis (e.g., people, collectives, transport, smart cities), the use of AI in collective analysis (e.g., for situational awareness and understanding mobility), and the impact of emerging technologies on data-driven decision making.  She is particularly interested in what can be learnt from other sectors, and the overlap between methods that can be applied to datasets relating to physical and non-physical environments.  In 2024, she was recognized as part of Digital Leaders 100 in category of AI Expert of the Year, and as one of the TechWoman100. She was a fellow of the Alan Turing Institute (ATI) between October 2021 and September 2023. 

Nationality: British

Part of Initiative in the Digital Economy at Exeter (INDEX)

Interests:

• The use of emerging technologies in data-driven decision making
• Movement pattern analysis
• The use of AI in collective analysis

Qualifications:

BSc Computer Science (Exeter), PhD Computer Science (Exeter), SHEA