(© Iain Murray, 2022 - last update 17^th August 2022)

Dr. Iain R. Murray is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Computing, and his main research interest is in speech synthesis, particularly the adding of emotion to synthesised speech; he has also worked on human factors issues of speech communication.

Dr. Murray gained his BSc in Electronics and Microcomputer Systems from the University of Dundee in 1986. He then joined the MicroCentre as a postgraduate research student, this work leading to the development of the prototype HAMLET system for simulating vocal emotion effects in synthesised speech, and the awarding of his PhD in 1990. In 1990, Dr. Murray became involved in the Alvey Project on human factors issues of speech-driven word processors, investigating the comparative performance of a simulated "listening typewriter" against conventional methods of document production. He continued his research on the HAMLET system, and further developments in this and associated areas are continuing under his supervision.

Current research is within Computing's Interactive Systems Design group.

He became a Lecturer in Computer Science in 1991, initially lecturing on database systems, and later as co-ordinator of the University's introductory Information Technology course teaching basic computer skills to students from all faculties of the University. He currently lectures on undergraduate computing courses at all levels within the School, including programming, hardware and multimedia audio topics.

The HAMLET system won 2nd prize in the 1989 Design Council/Toshiba "Year of Invention", and an essay describing the system won 2nd prize in the Daily Telegraph "Young Science Writer" competition in 1988. Dr. Murray was awarded the British Science Association's Isambard Kingdom Brunel Lectureship in 1994-95, and has given his lecture "Speaking With Machines" on several occasions. He was invited in January 1995 to join a Cabinet Office Committee reviewing professional scientists' contribution to the public understanding of science; the Committee reported in October 1995. He was awarded a Short-term Research Fellowship by BT in 1997 to investigate incorporating vocal emotion into their Laureate speech synthesis system, and won the British Science Association's Walter Bodmer Award for Volunteering in 2018 for his work with the Tayside & Fife Branch of the association.

Dr. Murray is a Chartered Engineer and a member of several academic and professional bodies.  He is an academic accreditor with the BCS.

His interests include the history of science and military history, especially the work of Sir Barnes Wallis; he has authored three books on Wallis's work and is a trustee of the Barnes Wallis Foundation.