Gerhard Pratt joined the Faculty at Queen's University in 1998, where is currently a Professor of Geophysics. His research interests are in the fields of seismic modelling, imaging and inversion. He has a BSc (1980) from Queen's University, and MSc and PhD degrees from Imperial College London (1986, 1989). From 1992-1997 he was the Elf Acquitaine Lecturer in Geophysics in the Department of Geology at Imperial College, London. He has worked as a Wireline Engineer in the Petroleum Industry, and has been active as a geophysical consultant in a number of different fields. From 1996 to 2000 Dr Pratt was an associate editor of Geophysics (published by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists SEG (USA)); he is currently an editor of the Geophysical Journal Internaional.

Dr Pratt has been actively researching new methods in seismic wave modelling and imaging. He and his students have developed a number of innovations in these areas that make possible large scale forward and inverse modelling of exploration seismic data through numerical simulation of the full wave equation. Together they have been able to use these methods in imaging structures in a wide range of applications, from small scale site investigations to wide angle crustal seismology.