Dr Alexander Shaw

Alex is a neuroscientist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Exeter working across computational psychiatry, theoretical neuroscience, and neuro-inspired AI. He leads the Computational Psychiatry & Neuropharmacological Systems (CPNS) Lab, where his group combines experimental neuroimaging with generative modelling to study brain disorders and build mechanistic models of mind, brain, and intelligent systems.

His research integrates M/EEG, MRI, PET, pharmacological manipulations, and computational modelling to infer the hidden synaptic and circuit mechanisms underlying psychiatric and neurological disorders. This work draws on dynamical systems, Bayesian inference, variational methods, and biologically grounded neural modelling, with a particular focus on predictive coding, active inference, and free energy minimisation.

Alongside clinical and translational neuroscience, his group develops neuro-inspired approaches to AI, including active inference agents, reusable generative architectures, and robotics-oriented decision systems. A central theme of this work is that principles of brain computation may offer a route to more adaptive, grounded, and interpretable artificial intelligence. This neuro-AI strand is now a visible part of the CPNS Lab’s research portfolio, alongside computational psychiatry and MEG/EEG generative modelling.

He also serves as Director of Business Engagement and Innovation in Psychology at Exeter, and works with students, postgraduates, and collaborators across neuroscience, psychiatry, mathematics, and AI.

Research group, demos, publications, preprints, and opportunities can be found via the CPNS Lab and associated links:
CPNS Lab: cpnslab.com