I am Lecturer in Computer Science in the School of Informatics and Digital Engineering at Aston University. My research interests can be broadly described as Social Learning and Cultural Evolution in Artificial Evolutionary System, though my research covers a wide range of topics from Evolutionary Computation to Socio-Technical Systems and Smart Energy to Computational Intelligence. My core research motivation is to understand the emergence and utility of social learning and cultural evolution as evolved adaptive mechanisms for learning, and then apply social learning and cultural evolution in artificial evolutionary systems, socio-technical systems, and computationally intelligent adaptive agents.

I am originally from Birmingham, and am proudly half Maltese. Before moving to Aston in January 2022 I was a lecturer in Evolutionary Systems in the School of Computing and Mathematics at Keele University. I obtained my PhD from Keele University, under the supervision of Dr Alastair Channon, in 2018. My other qualifications include a BSc in Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science and a MSc in Advance Computer Science from the University of Birmingham, UK.

In my spare time I am a keen Aston Villa supporter; regularly injured football player; music enthusiast; out of practice guitarist; Science Fiction fan, part time gamer, part time politico, part time meme stock enthusiast; and full time Dad and partner.

Artificial Life, Social Learning, Cultural Evolution, Evolutionary Systems, Socio-Technical Systems, Computational Intelligence

PhD: "The emergence and utility of social behaviour and social learning in artificial evolutionary systems"

School of Computing and Mathematics
Keele University
11/2009 – 03/2018

Available: https://eprints.keele.ac.uk/id/eprint/4533 [Also Read Here]

MSc: Advanced Computer Science

School of Computer Science
University of Birmingham
09/2008 – 08/2009

BSc(hons): Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science

School of Computer Science
University of Birmingham
09/2005 – 07/2008

Lecturer in Computer Science

School of Informatics and Digital Engineering
Aston University
01/2022 - Ongoing

Lectuer in Evolutionary Systems

School of Computing and Mathematics
Keele University
01/2018 - 01/2022

Teaching Fellow

School of Computing and Mathematics
Keele University
09/2009 - 01/2018

Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Authority

2021/22 Teaching

CS326G - Security Governance, Risk Management & Policy

CS4740 - Deep Learning

Current PhD Students

Nathan Brooks (Keele University)
09/2019 - Ongoing
Co-Supervised with: Dr Alastair Channon (Keele University) and Dr Simon Powers (Edinburgh Napier University)

I currently do not have any funded PhD studentships available, but I am always happy to hear from potential students who are interested in working with me.