LIDA Director Celebrates 25 Years of Innovation and Impact at the University of Leeds

The Leeds Institute for Data Analytics (LIDA) is proud to celebrate a major milestone for its Director of Research Technology, Professor Roy Ruddle, who marks 25 years of service at the University of Leeds this year.

Over a quarter of a century, Prof Ruddle career has spanned teaching, research, innovation and collaboration, helping to shape the University’s reputation for excellence in data analytics, computer science and real-world impact.

When asked to describe his role, Prof Ruddle offers a simple but powerful answer: teacher and inventor. As a lecturer, he has educated and inspired thousands of students, delivering teaching across data visualisation, computer graphics, human-computer interaction and data science. His commitment to education has helped equip generations of graduates with the skills needed to thrive in data-driven careers.

Alongside teaching, Prof Ruddle’s research has led to ground-breaking innovations with global reach. Most notably, they are the inventor of the Leeds Virtual Microscope, a pioneering digital pathology platform that was commercialised in partnership with Roche. Today, it is used by clinicians around the world to support the diagnosis of cancer, demonstrating how university research can translate into life-changing clinical practice.

Prof Ruddle’s work has also advanced the field of data quality. He developed the publicly available 6-step Data Quality Method, accompanying software and instructional YouTube videos. The method enables a wide range of users to save time, reduce re-work, challenge incorrect assumptions and improve the accuracy of analytical results.

Collaboration has been a defining feature of Prof Ruddle’s career. Over the years, he has worked closely with dozens of public and private sector organisations, both large and small. They include NHS Digital, Leeds City Council, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Sainsbury’s and 4-Xtra Technologies Ltd. These partnerships have ensured that research and innovation are grounded in real-world needs and deliver tangible benefits to society.

Knowledge sharing sits at the heart of Prof Ruddle’s approach. Through masterclasses, and CPD training, he has supported hundreds of professionals in developing their data and analytics capabilities. His work is also characterised by extensive interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together experts from 15 different disciplines to tackle complex challenges.

This 25-year milestone is not only a celebration of individual achievement, but also a reflection of the University of Leeds’ enduring commitment to innovation, collaboration and impact. Prof Ruddle was part of the core team that established LIDA in 2014, and said “Since the outset, LIDA has brought together researchers from across the whole University – LIDA really stands out amongst its peers for interdisciplinarity.”

Since LIDA’s creation, the world - and the University of Leeds - has changed dramatically. Data volumes have exploded, and technologies such as cloud computing and artificial intelligence have reshaped how we work, learn and collaborate.

Looking ahead, LIDA is expanding its Research Software Engineering capability, providing specialist in-house data science expertise to research projects, stimulating interdisciplinary collaboration through it’s Research Communities, and continuing to enhance its internationally accredited LASER platforms for secure data science.

LIDA congratulates Prof Ruddle on this significant anniversary and looks forward to the continued influence of his work in the years to come.