Dr Patrick Thomson

Patrick Thomson is a Senior Research Associate at the School of Geography and the Environment, where he leads the Smart Water Group, researching how information enables household and institutions to rethink and redesign rural water services. This praxis-based research mixes social science, natural science and engineering to improve health and human development outcomes for rural water users.

Patrick invented and developed the 'Smart Handpump' and leads the continuing technical evolution and operational implementation of this research at OUCE. Originally trained as an engineer, Patrick initiated the department's collaboration with the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, which has built the technical capability of the team through the IBME's expertise in machine learning and data analytics.

The Smart Handpumps project was one of 13 chosen by the seven UK Research Councils to showcase ground-breaking and innovative research at the RCUK's first 'Research, Innovate, Grow' event in 2015, and was the winner of the inaugural Vice-Chancellor's Innovations Award in 2018. Patrick was part of the team that developed the FundiFix model for rural water service delivery, which has spawned two small enterprises in Kenya, and designed the Water Services Maintenance Trust Funds, that have since been registered in Kenya.

Patrick is a Faculty Affiliate at the Mortenson Center in Global Engineering at the CU Boulder, a member of the HWISE (Household Water Insecurity Experience) Research Collaboration Network, led by Texas A&M, Arizona State and Northwestern Universities. Here at Oxford University he is a Social Science Division Innovation Fellow and a member of St. Anthony’s College. Prior to returning to Oxford in 2010, Patrick worked in international development, living and working in Sub-Saharan Africa, South East Asia and the Caucasus regions. He is a Chartered Engineer and has been awarded two patents

• REACH: Improving water security for the poor (FCDO, 2015-2024)
• Smart Handpumps Failure Prediction (EPSRC/GCRF, 2019-2022)
• Water Learning Partnership Pilot, Cameroon (ESRC, 2019-2022)
• Tribal Water Services Knowledge Exchange (ESRC, 2021)
• Sustainable WASH Systems Learning Partnership (USAID, 2017-2021)

Patrick teaches on the department's MSc in Water Science, Policy and Management, co-leading the Water Management module.