Rebecca Lunn

Biography

Rebecca Lunn – is a Professor in Civil Engineering at the University of Strathclyde. Her expertise includes: monitoring and modelling of deep flow systems; the influence of geological structures on the mechanical and hydraulic properties of rocks; and developing new technologies for ground and subsurface engineering. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers. In 2011, she was awarded the Geological Society’s Aberconway Medal for a body of research of particular relevance within industry; she was the first woman and first engineer to receive this award. Prof Lunn’s research experience is highly multi-disciplinary and she collaborates with structural geologists, seismologists, mathematicians, microbiologists, material scientists and electronic engineers. She leads two national EPSRC research consortia: ‘Biogeochemical Applications in Nuclear Decommissioning and Disposal’ (BANDD) and ‘SAFE Barriers’. Current research interests include: prediction of rock mass property change over time (from decades to glacial time periods), development of new subsurface monitoring devices, development of low-viscosity grouts for hydraulic containment and ground improvement, and design of engineered barrier systems. Her research is driven by industry challenges in nuclear decommissioning, hydrocarbon production, radioactive waste disposal, geological carbon storage and geothermal energy production. She has additional interests in supporting women in science and engineering, in developing tools for effective public engagement and in communication of scientific uncertainty. She currently holds no other ministerial public appointment.