Consistently rated amongst the world’s top 10 universities, Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research. Based on the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), it has the greatest concentration of research rated “world leading” and “internationally excellent” amongst all UK universities. The Department of Computing is one of the largest Computing departments in the UK and is a world leader in Computer Science. Its research was ranked 2nd in the UK by the RAE and 2nd in its field within the UK by the Complete University Guide 2014.

Brain & Behaviour Lab (BBL) is directed Aldo Faisal and located in the Department of Computing and the Department of Bioengineering in a joint space at Imperial College. The research at ICL-BBL fuses neuroscience with technology contributing to the emerging discipline of Neurotechnology. The lab combines methods from computing, physics and engineering with experimental human studies to understand how the brain works. Basic science and translational work are perused by a. reverse engineering from first principles the algorithms that drive brains and behaviour and b. translating this understanding into technology that helps patients and people in general. The cross-disciplinary outlook is reflected by the lab being part of the Dept. of Bioengineering, the Dept. of Computing (South Kensington Campus) and the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre (Hammersmith Hospital Campus). The Lab currently (March 2014) encompasses 15 post-doctoral researchers, MD/PhD, PhD and technicians from 6 EU countries and 2 continents. The cross-disciplinary research is supported by international programme grants for collaboration in the US (Emory University (Atlanta), University of Washington (Seattle) and within Europe. The BBL obtained several awards including the Thomson-Reuters Prize in Big Data 2013 and a runner up to Qualcomm’s Innovation Award in 2014 for Neurotechnology applications in Diagnostics in Parkinson’s and Neurogenetic disorders respectively and also awarded an international, highly competitive (<2.5% success chance) Human Frontiers in Science Program grant (HFSP) for automatic behaviourmetric genotyping.

Role in ENHANCE

ICL has a leading role in developing technological knowledge in using eye tracking for intention prediction (WP1) and monitoring subject eye-tracking, behaviour-metrics and muscle activity in the home and outdoor environment (WP2). On both areas, ICL, has ample experience, as is illustrated by the expertise of the key persons who will be involved in the project, as specified below.