Professor
Eleni Vasilaki

Machine Learning · Computational Neuroscience · Neuromorphic Computing

Profile

Professor Eleni Vasilaki I am Chair of Bioinspired Machine Learning in the School of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering, at the University of Sheffield. My research translates principles of animal learning into new machine learning methods and neuromorphic computing hardware. Working across neuroscience, AI, and materials engineering, my group develops systems that learn efficiently, adapt robustly, and compute in brain-like ways. I am equally committed to teaching machine learning from first principles and mentoring the next generation of researchers.

Honours

  • Inge Strauch Visiting Professorship, University of Zurich, Switzerland, September 2021-February 2022.
  • Google DeepMind Faculty Research Award (2017).

Selected Publications

  1. Manneschi, L., Vidamour, I.T., Stenning, K.D., Swindells, C., Venkat, G., Griffin, D., Gui, L., Sonawala, D., Donskikh, D., Hariga, D., Donati, E., Stepney, S., Branford, W.R., Gartside, J.C., Hayward, T.J., Ellis, M.O.A., and Vasilaki, E. (2025). "Noise-aware training of neuromorphic dynamic device networks." Nature Communications.
  2. Han, C., Ioannou, S., Manneschi, L., Hayward, T.J., Mangan, M., Gilra, A., and Vasilaki, E. (2025). "Neural ODE and SDE Models for Adaptation and Planning in Model-Based Reinforcement Learning." Transactions on Machine Learning Research.
  3. Stenning, K.D., Gartside, J.C., Manneschi, L., Cheung, C.T.S., Chen, T., Vanstone, A., Love, J., Holder, H.H., Caravelli, F., Kurebayashi, H., Everschor-Sitte, K., Vasilaki, E., and Branford, W.R. (2024). "Neuromorphic Overparameterisation and Few-Shot Learning in Multilayer Physical Neural Networks." Nature Communications.
  4. Ellis, M.O.A., Welbourne, A., Kyle, S.J., Fry, P.W., Allwood, D.A., Hayward, T.J., and Vasilaki, E. (2023). "Machine learning using magnetic stochastic synapses." Neuromorphic Computing and Engineering.
  5. Han, C., English, G., Saal, H.P., Indiveri, G., Gilra, A., von der Behrens, W., and Vasilaki, E. (2023). "Modelling novelty detection in the thalamocortical loop." PLOS Computational Biology.

Full List of Publications

Google Scholar profile

Current Grants

  • EPSRC / Innovate UK, "Neuroware: Innovation and Knowledge Centre for Neuromorphic Computing Hardware".

Grants Portfolio

Research funding to Sheffield exceeds £5 million since 2016, from EPSRC, Innovate UK, Leverhulme Trust, and Google DeepMind.