Anil Seth

Anil Seth is Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex, where he serves as Director of the Sussex Centre for Consciousness Science. He is also Co-Director of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) Program on Brain, Mind, and Consciousness. His research bridges psychology, philosophy, computer science, AI, physics, mathematics, psychiatry, and neurology to determine the biological basis of conscious experience.

Dr. Seth completed his MA in Natural Sciences at Cambridge University in 1996, followed by an MSc in Knowledge-Based Systems and a DPhil in Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence, both at the University of Sussex. He worked as a postdoctoral researcher at The Neurosciences Institute in San Diego from 2001-2006 before returning to Sussex.

Seth's research is guided by two key principles: that consciousness science should account for properties of subjective experience in terms of neural mechanisms, and that basic experiences of conscious selfhood depend on close connections between brain and body. His lab develops mathematical measures of information flow and neuronal complexity as markers of conscious level, investigates how conscious perception depends on neural mechanisms underlying 'predictive processing' in the Bayesian brain, and explores how prediction of bodily signals underlies basic experiences of selfhood using virtual reality and psychophysiology. These insights are translated into new approaches for understanding disturbances of conscious experience in psychiatric disorders.

His publications reveal a consistent focus on the neural basis of consciousness, with recent work expanding into consciousness in artificial intelligence, ethics of brain-computer interfaces, and stroboscopically-induced hallucinations. His research spans theoretical frameworks, empirical studies, and practical applications across multiple domains.

• Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher (2019-2024)
• Royal Society's Michael Faraday Prize (2023)
• Prospect Magazine Top 25 Thinkers for 2024
• Royal Society Young People's Book Prize (2014)
• BBC Radio Drama Awards Best Single Drama (2016)
• 2019 KidSpirit Perspective prize
• 2023 Segerfalk Prize from the University of Lund

Seth has received significant research funding including an EPSRC Leadership Fellowship, an ERC Advanced Investigator Grant, support from the Wellcome Trust, and funding from CIFAR. He was previously a Wellcome Trust Engagement Fellow (2016-2020) and founding Editor-in-Chief of Neuroscience of Consciousness (2014-2024). His book 'Being You: A New Science of Consciousness' (2021) became a Sunday Times Top 10 Bestseller and was named Book of the Year by multiple publications including The Economist and The New Statesman. His 2017 TED Talk has garnered over 15 million views and is among TED's most popular science talks.

He leads the Sussex Centre for Consciousness Science and collaborates extensively with international researchers, including through the CIFAR Program on Brain, Mind, and Consciousness. His work increasingly intersects with artists and creators, as evidenced by projects like Dreamachine, an innovative immersive experience combining art, neuroscience, architecture, and music.