I joined the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1990. I am a Professor of Mathematics in the Mathematics Department, an academic governor (a member of LSE's governing body, the Council) and a former head of department.

I am originally from Paisley, in the west of Scotland, near Glasgow. Growing up in Paisley, I studied at the local comprehensive, Castlehead High School, then graduated from the University of Glasgow with a BSc in Mathematics in 1988. I completed a PhD in Mathematics in 1991, having studied at Royal Holloway College and LSE. I also have an MA in Higher and Professional Education from the Institute of Education, University of London.

My research interests are focused on how we can use mathematics to say provable things about  machine learning. I won't bore you here with the details: see my publications page for hours of enjoyment. If you would like a non-technical overview, see this short video or read this expository article.

I've taught a wide variety of courses at LSE (see my teaching page for current courses) and have also been very involved with the University of London's International Programmes directed by LSE.

I live with my wife Colleen and our son Alistair in the cheaper end of leafy Twickenham, a place I like very much. I enjoy vegetarian cookery, cycling, listening to music and reading fiction.

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