Professor Edmund Rolls is a world-renowned computational neuroscientist whose pioneering work has fundamentally shaped our understanding of brain function and cognition. He currently holds positions as an Honorary Fellow in Applied Neuroimaging at the University of Warwick's Department of Computer Science and as a researcher at the Oxford Centre for Computational Neuroscience. After receiving his Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience from the University of Oxford, he served as a Fellow by Examination at Magdalen College, Oxford from 1969 to 1973. His distinguished career advanced significantly when he was awarded the prestigious Doctor of Science degree from Oxford University in 1986, cementing his status as a leading figure in the neuroscientific community.
Rolls' groundbreaking research has established foundational principles for understanding how neuronal networks operate in vision, memory, attention, and decision-making processes. His innovative application of computational neuroscience approaches to map functional brain connectivity has generated over 688 influential research papers, making him the 20th most cited neuroscientist globally and the 150th most cited scientist across all scientific fields. His seminal theoretical frameworks describing the brain's computational operations, particularly detailed in his series of Oxford University Press monographs including The Noisy Brain, Cerebral Cortex: Principles of Operation, and the recently published open-access Brain Computations and Connectivity, have become essential references for researchers worldwide. These contributions have not only advanced theoretical understanding but have also provided critical insights into neurological disorders of emotion and psychiatric conditions including schizophrenia and depression.
Beyond his direct research contributions, Professor Rolls has been instrumental in establishing computational neuroscience as a rigorous discipline that bridges theoretical modeling with empirical neuroimaging studies. His work continues to influence next-generation researchers through his extensive publication record and theoretical frameworks that guide investigations into brain function in both health and disease. As an active researcher publishing cutting-edge work through Oxford University Press, he remains deeply engaged in advancing our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying consciousness, emotion processing, and feeding behavior. His ongoing research promises to further illuminate the computational principles governing brain connectivity, offering new pathways for understanding and treating neurological and psychiatric disorders in the years to come.
