Dr James Le Houx

Dr James Le Houx is a Senior Lecturer in Materials Science and Engineering whose research focuses on creating the next generation of ‘smart’ scientific instruments by integrating artificial intelligence directly into the experimental process. His vision is to build ‘self-driving microscopes’, autonomous platforms that can intelligently hunt for rare and unpredictable events, such as the microscopic origins of battery failure. By teaching an instrument to predict where and when a flaw will form, his work aims to capture these critical processes with unprecedented detail. This research is grounded in his experience developing novel characterisation techniques at UK national facilities, including the Diamond Light Source and ISIS Neutron and Muon Source. He is currently the inaugural Faraday Institution Emerging Leader Fellow, a role in which he helps shape national battery research strategy.

Dr Le Houx is also the creator of OpenImpala, an open-source simulation package used to model complex 3D data from advanced imaging experiments. Before joining Greenwich, he was a Beamline Scientist at the Diamond Light Source and a Design Engineer in motorsport. He is a Chartered Engineer and holds a PhD and an MEng from the University of Southampton.