Thomas Blumensath

Professor Thomas Blumensath is a Professor of Signal and Image Processing at the University of Southampton and a Fellow at the Alan Turing Institute. He is the Academic Lead in Image Processing and Reconstruction at the University's μ-VIS X-ray Imaging Centre and Director of Research at the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR). His research focuses on advanced algorithms for solving inverse problems in tomographic imaging, combining machine learning, optimization, and statistical methods. Key areas include X-ray tomography strategies, GPU-accelerated reconstruction, and multimodal imaging applications.

Education:

• B.Sc. (Hons) Music Technology and Audio System Design, University of Derby (2002)
• PhD in Electronic Engineering (Bayesian Signal Processing), University of London (2006)

Research Interests: Professor Blumensath's work spans theoretical and applied signal/image processing, with emphasis on tomographic imaging techniques. His current projects address efficient reconstruction methods, spectral X-ray CT, and applications in manufacturing and plant science. He collaborates with advanced imaging facilities like Diamond Light Source and ISIS neutron imaging beamline.

Key Contributions: His research bridges computational methods (e.g., compressed sensing) with practical imaging challenges, including limited-angle tomography and stereo imaging strategies. He leads the National Research Facility for Lab X-ray CT and has developed the TIGRE reconstruction toolbox.

Grants & Projects: Active funding includes EPSRC projects on tomographic sensitivity monitoring and CT-based manufacturing inspections. Completed projects cover constrained reconstruction, AM process verification, and industrial CT metrology.

Awards:

• Alan Turing Institute Fellowship

Teaching & Leadership: He teaches modules on machine learning, biomedical image processing, and robotics. Leads the BEng Control Engineering program at the Joint Education Institute with Harbin Engineering University.

Labs/Teams: Active in the Signal Processing, Audio and Hearing research group (SPAH) and the Institute for Life Sciences. Oversees the μ-VIS X-ray Imaging Centre's research initiatives.