Simon Cox

Professor Simon Cox is a Professor of Computational Methods and Director of the Microsoft Institute for High Performance Computing within the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Southampton. He holds a doctorate in Electronics and Computer Science, complemented by first-class degrees in Mathematics and Physics. His research focuses on computational tools and platforms, particularly in high-performance computing, cloud computing, and interdisciplinary applications in engineering and science. He has secured over £30 million in research and enterprise funding, published over 250 papers, and is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional since 2003.

Research interests include computational electromagnetics, meshless methods, and data management. His team, the Computational Engineering and Design Group, develops high-performance computing systems and commercial distributed computing solutions. Notable projects include a Raspberry Pi and Lego-based supercomputer and a spin-off company from computational electromagnetics research. He actively supervises PhD students in Engineering and Environmental Science.

Key awards include the Microsoft MVP title. His work spans environmental monitoring (e.g., methane sensors, IoT-based peatland tracking), cybersecurity for IoT devices, and biomedical applications like 3D X-ray histology. He leads outreach initiatives, including the 'Supercomputing in Engineering Course' since 2005.