Timoleon Fourfaro

Timoleon Fourfaro is a PhD student in brain-computer interfaces at Newcastle University, co-supervised by Prof. Andrew Jackson and Prof. Andrew Trevelyan, combining expertise in neural interfaces and the cellular mechanisms of epilepsy. He works within Prof. Jackson’s group, Newcastle’s representative in the MRC CoRE in Restorative Neural Dynamics. Originally from Alexandroupoli, Greece, Timoleon graduated as valedictorian of his high school before moving to the UK to study Biomedical Sciences at the University of Manchester.

He went on to complete an MRes in Experimental Neuroscience at Imperial College London, working across three main areas: neuroregeneration after spinal cord injury, synaptic plasticity during focused ultrasound treatment, and excitable cancers at the Francis Crick Institute.

His ARIA-funded PhD project aims to achieve spatially precise, cell-type-specific closed-loop control of cortical circuits using high-density electrode arrays, custom electrical stimulation methods, and advanced data analysis. Timoleon’s work brings together experimental and computational neuroscience, connecting fundamental circuit mechanisms to the development of next-generation brain stimulation technologies.

Within the MRC CoRE, Timoleon’s PhD work focuses on identifying and controlling the network signatures that drive epileptic activity. He applies high-density electrophysiology and data-driven modelling to uncover how specific neuronal populations contribute to the emergence and spread of seizures. By integrating these with custom stimulation methods, he aims to develop precise, responsive interventions capable of steering cortical circuits out of pathological states.

His contribution supports the Centre’s broader mission to transform our understanding of neural dynamics into new device-based therapies that offer more reliable, personalised seizure control.