Sam Cooper

Sam Cooper is a Reader in Artificial Intelligence for Materials Design at the Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London. He leads the TLDR group, focusing on machine learning applications in energy storage technologies, including battery optimization and materials design. His work has led to the spin-out company Polaron, co-founded with former students Isaac Squires and Steve Kench. He teaches Engineering Mathematics and oversees admissions for the department.

• Education:
  • MEng in Mechanical Engineering (Imperial College London, 2008–2012)
  • PhD in Materials Science (Imperial College London, 2012–2015)

His research interests span Generative AI for microstructure optimization, open-source tools like TauFactor and TraceX, and the development of SliceGAN for 3D materials analysis. Key contributions include methods for battery electrode design and advanced materials characterization. He has pioneered online courses, such as the Mathematics for Machine Learning series on Coursera (600,000+ enrollments).

Sam’s team has developed tools like TauFactor for microstructural analysis and TraceX for diffusion modeling in ion-conducting materials. His work bridges AI, materials science, and engineering, with applications in sustainable energy systems.

He serves as Chief Scientist at Polaron, advancing AI-driven material design. Collaborations span diverse sectors due to the applicability of his tools across microstructure-dependent systems.