About

EPICENTRE was founded in July 2007 at UCL by Dr Tiziana Rossetto with funds from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The EPICENTRE consists of a dynamic multi-disciplinary research group that embraces an holistic approach to earthquake engineering to help answer the question “What is the most effective way to direct engineering investment to minimise adverse earthquake hazard effects on local economies and populations?”. This question is being broached through research projects that address both hard engineering, and social and cultural issues.

Currently, four main projects are underway that look at: (1) Tsunami impact on structures and communities, (2) A framework for the prediction of earthquake damage to populations of structures (3) The psychological drivers behind people’s behaviour in earthquakes, and the influence of this behaviour on their earthquake vulnerability within their urban environment and (4) the use of satellite imagery to gauge earthquake resilience. All these projects are highly interdisciplinary, involving collaboration between structural/earthquake engineers, disaster risk reduction experts, coastal engineers and psychologists.

As part of its drive to promote earthquake awareness and discourse amongst disciplines of earthquake risk issues, the EPICENTRE holds a series of seminars which are open to all. To date we have been very successful in attracting worldwide experts to speak at these seminars.

The EPICENTRE also has a dedicated MSc course in Earthquake Engineering with Disaster Management (funded through EPSRC CTA), which I direct and which promotes the philosophy of holistic earthquake risk reduction: http://www.cege.ucl.ac.uk/teaching/postgraduate/eedm. The latter is achieved through teaching and through knowledge transfer with a number of industries and NGO’s that participate in the course delivery and MSc projects.