PhD Astrocyte Metabolism as Inspiration for Ultra‑Efficient Neuromorphic Computing

Astrocytes (the brain’s most abundant glial cells) play a crucial role in energy management, information processing, and neural support. Their metabolic efficiency enables the brain to learn and adapt while consuming remarkably little power. Understanding these processes could help inspire a new generation of sustainable, brain-like computing systems.

Our project aims to uncover how astrocytes manage energy, support learning, and shape neural network dynamics, and to explore how these biological strategies could translate into ideas for future neuromorphic technologies. This is a chance to make a meaningful contribution to the emerging field of metabolically inspired computing.

This project will explore how these biological principles can be mapped onto computational frameworks relevant to neuromorphic systems such as those developed through the NeuChip project and the UK Neuromorphic Computing Centre.

This project sits at the interface of neuroscience, bioenergetics, and unconventional computing. You will join a collaborative team exploring how living systems inspire future hardware and computational paradigms.

Dr Eric Hill is a neurobiologist specialising in cellular processes underlying neural function and disease, with particular expertise in human neurobiology, glial physiology, and metabolic dysregulation. Dr Hill brings extensive experience in understanding how astrocytes and neurons interact to support brain function.

You will also benefit from input from researchers working on neuromorphic computation and biological information processing.

Loughborough University has an applied research culture. In REF 2021, 94% of the work submitted was judged to be top-rated as “world-leading” or “internationally excellent”. We are a community based on mutual support and collaboration. Through our Doctoral College, there are continual opportunities for building important research skills and networks among your peers and research academics.