Dr Markus Tatzgern has been appointed as Associate Professor (Reader) in Creative Technologies, as part of Warwick's £4.35 million award from the UK Government's Global Talent Fund.
Dr Tatzgern will join Warwick on 1st September 2026, bringing over 15 years of experience at the frontier of Extended Reality (XR), Human-Computer Interaction, and AI. Dr Tatzgern focuses on blending digital information into everyday life, including at work and cultural spaces, through technologies such as smart glasses and headsets.
Dr Tatzgern recently led a team that developed a novel Virtual Reality breathing mask to precisely measure and adjust breathing resistance for respiratory therapy and highly immersive training simulations.
Speaking about his appointment, Dr Markus Tatzgern said: "I am looking forward to the opportunity to drive meaningful innovation in Creative Technology within Warwick's unique research ecosystem. With its genuine commitment to interdisciplinary practice and innovation, Warwick is bringing engineering, manufacturing, and the arts together, and I'm excited that my work sits at the centre of these partnerships."
"There are many reasons to join Warwick, but its position as a Russell Group university that develops talent through outstanding PhD programmes and its world-class research infrastructure, and the UK's strong global position in human-computer interaction, make it an ideal place to build high-impact research."
"The ambition of the Global Talent Fund was important in helping me join Warwick. The support will help provide the resources and structure needed to establish an ambitious and collaborative research agenda at Warwick that tackles some of the biggest questions in this new frontier of extended reality technology and I look forward to getting started."
With this appointment, the University of Warwick continues to strengthen its role as a hub for world-leading research and innovation. It reflects Warwick's ambition to enhance its interdisciplinary strength in Creative Technology, "CreaTech", through collaboration between the Warwick Manufacturing Group and the Faculty of Arts.
At Warwick, Dr Tatzgern will lead research into how XR can be integrated into both industrial and creative contexts. His work will explore how XR technologies can support workers in manufacturing - improving decision-making, productivity, and safety in real time. The research will also examine how XR can transform storytelling and audience engagement, opening new forms of expression where audiences can experience performances in immersive ways.
Welcoming the appointment, Professor Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Warwick, said: "Attracting outstanding international researchers such as Markus, reflects Warwick CreaTech's mission to fuse creativity and technology to make a better world. Our work spans sectors from gaming and immersive media to fashion, architecture, and entertainment - all grounded in human experience and driven by relentless curiosity and dynamic collaboration.
"By expanding our CreaTech community, we are nurturing exceptional talent, growing new ideas, and building an ecosystem where world-leading research converges with creative industries to inspire new products, services, and experiences for the future."
Dr Tatzgern's appointment is made possible through the Government's Global Talent Fund, which supports Warwick to recruit the best international talent to the UK. Dr Tatzgern plans to kick-start building his research team through recruitment of a senior researcher - supported by the Global Talent Fund - and with two PhD studentships.
Warwick was one of 12 institutions selected by UK Research and Innovation to deliver the Global Talent Fund, with Warwick's focus on the intersection of Advanced Manufacturing and the Creative Industries. The Fund is designed to attract world-leading researchers to the UK to drive innovation, strengthen key sectors, and support long-term economic growth.
Science Minister Lord Vallance said: "It's no coincidence that the world's top researchers - driving groundbreaking innovations in AI, life sciences, advanced manufacturing and clean energy - are choosing to come to the UK to advance their work.
"Britain is home to an outstanding science and research community, and boosted by our participation in Horizon Europe, we're able to drive forward the kinds of research with international partners that will change lives and create opportunities here in the UK and all over the world."
A full list of the newly announced Global Talent Fund awardees can be found here.
