James Knight

Dr James Knight is a Senior Research Fellow in Informatics at the School of Engineering and Informatics, University of Sussex. He is currently an EPSRC Research Software Engineering Fellow (2022–2026), leading research in neuromorphic computing and spiking neural networks. His work bridges computer science, neuroscience, and robotics, with a focus on bio-inspired artificial intelligence and computational modeling of insect cognition.

Education:

• PhD in Computer Science, University of Manchester (2013–2016)
• MPhil in Advanced Computer Science, University of Cambridge (2012–2013)
• BEng in Electronic Engineering, University of Warwick (2003–2006)

His research interests center on neuromorphic computing, spiking neural networks, and bio-inspired AI, particularly drawing insights from insect neuroscience to develop efficient and robust machine learning systems. He explores event-based vision, neural hardware acceleration, and computational models of insect navigation and perception.

The 15 most recent publications (2024–2025) reflect a strong trend in developing and benchmarking neuromorphic algorithms, including training methods like Eventprop, hardware-software co-design (e.g., FeNN processor), and modeling biological systems such as insect central complex and mushroom bodies. These works span journals like Nature Communications, PLoS Computational Biology, and Neuromorphic Computing and Engineering, as well as IEEE and Springer conferences.

Scientific Grants:

• Unlocking spiking neural networks for machine learning research (EPSRC, 2022–2026) – Principal Investigator
• ActiveAI – active learning and selective attention for robust, transparent and efficient AI (EPSRC, 2019–2022) – Research Team Member

Dr Knight actively collaborates with leading researchers including Thomas Nowotny, Andrew Philippides, and Paul Graham. His work contributes to both theoretical advances in neural computation and practical applications in robotics and AI. He is involved in developing frameworks such as NeuroBench for standardized evaluation of neuromorphic systems.

Laboratories and Research Teams: He is part of the neuromorphic computing and computational neuroscience research groups at the University of Sussex, contributing to interdisciplinary projects that integrate software engineering, AI, and biological modeling.