Emili Balaguer-Ballester

Dr. Emili Balaguer-Ballester is an Associate Professor in Computational Neuroscience at Bournemouth University, UK. He co-champions the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Research Centre and serves as Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. His research spans computational neuroscience, machine learning, and virtual reality applications, with collaborations across Europe (University of Barcelona, Heidelberg University, IDIBAPS, Polyra) and North America (Indiana Purdue University, University of British Columbia).

• PhD in Physics (Cum Laude) from University of Valencia (2001)
• MSc in Neuroscience and Biology of Behaviour from University of Seville (2004)

Research focuses on cortical network dynamics, mesoscopic auditory cortex modeling, top-down modulation in cognition, and affective computing in VR. His work combines nonlinear time series analysis with neurodynamic modeling to study spontaneous and task-related brain activity states.

Recent publications demonstrate expertise in causal inference, neuroevolutionary optimization, and affective state detection using EMG/PPG sensors in VR environments. Collaborators include neuroscience labs (Sanchez-Vives, Durstewitz) and tech companies (Sony London, Emteq).

• PhD thesis award - Culture Institute 'Juan Gil-Albert', Spain (2001)
• Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy (2020)

Secured major grants including Royal Society funding for cortical network modeling (2022), Human Brain Project ERC support for neuromorphic hardware (2022), and Santander Bank research travel grants (2016). Supervised 14 PhD students through projects involving data streams, VR immersion, and cortical dynamics.

Labs include Balaguer Lab (GitHub), Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Research Centre, and collaborations with Human Brain Project. Teaching encompasses doctoral-level neuroscience, MSc data analytics, and undergraduate systems design courses.