Meet Dr Tim…

Tim is an applied, experimental cognitive neuroscientist, specializing in attention, visual perception, and decision making.

After graduating in Mathematics (Sheffield University, UK), Tim travelled the world as a software developer living and working in the US, Asia and Switzerland. He returned to university in 2005 to study Psychology and completed his PhD in visual neuroscience, decision making and aesthetic perception at Royal Holloway, University of London in 2010.

In 2011 he co-founded Acuity Intelligence Ltd, a research company grounded on scientific principles, which specialized in real-world applications of eye-tracking, bio-metrics and cognitive neuroscience.  As Director of Research he worked with companies as diverse as P&G, Coca-Cola, Unilever, GSK, Ralph Lauren, BskyB, The Guardian, the Walt Disney Company, Premier Foods and BAE Systems to educate on the role applied neuroscience could play in their businesses, to evaluate and optimize digital media, package designs, mobile apps and marketing strategy and to contribute to the development of innovate research methodologies including analytic algorithms, real-time machine learning tools and virtual reality applications.  In 2018 Acuity Intelligence was acquired by Tobii AB where Tim headed up the UK Insights Team, before stepping out as an independent researcher and neuroscience consultant in 2019.

As an educator Tim has developed and implemented neuroscience programmes for a wide range of academic and commercial customers.  He has appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Design Dimension, a number of TV shows including Channel 4’s The Secret Life of Buildings, C4’s Embarrassing Bodies and BBC1’s Secrets of the Sales, and was scientific advisor for the 2015 Toyota Tacoma “Sal a Jugar: Fun Games” advertising campaign. He has contributed numerous magazine articles and blog posts, and wrote the Dr Eye-Tracking column for the Neuromarketing Science and Business Association’s Insights magazine.

Tim is a world leading authority on applied eye-tracking and is a highly regarded public speaker with appearances at Dubai Lynx, Neuromarketing World Forum (London/Los Angeles), Shopper Brain Conference (Chicago/Dublin), European Conference on Eye-Movements, European Conference on Visual Perception, Vision Sciences Society, Marketing Week Insight Show (winner of Paper of Year - 2017), Brainy Bar, Food Matters Live, Universidad del Pacifico Marketing Summit, Retail Design Expo, The Marketing Society and Out Thinkers.

Tim’s first book, The Nursery Rhyme Conundrum, looking at the ways in which the brain blinds us to our own biases and assumptions ,will be published by Pantheon, November 2025.

Tim lives with his partner in the beautiful Eden Valley in Cumbria, surrounded by lakes and mountains, with their two cats Zeus and Pusseidon.

Neuroscientist

I am primarily a vision scientist, with expertise in sensation, perception, attention and decision making. My passion is applied research, so I prefer to research in context rather than in a stuffy lab. Much of my research has a commercial edge, with a strong focus on aesthetics and design.

For more details, including links to publications, my PhD thesis, conference posters/presentations and talks contact me using the links below.

Email LinkedIn X

Researcher

I am an award winning researcher with both academic and commercial experience. Although there is a strong quantitative focus to my research, these days I would very much describe myself as a mixed-methods researcher, with additional expertise in questionnaire design, scripting and facilitating both individual and group sessions.

In particular, I am a world renowned expert in eye-tracking research methods and technologies including screen based, mobile and VR.

Educator

I am a prize winning educator, with a Masters level degree in Inspirational Teaching and Learning (Distinction) and extensive experiencing in developing and delivering academic and commercial lectures/workshops.

I am also an international public speaker and writer. My new book The Nursery Rhyme Conundrum, co-written with Roger Jackson, is out November 2025. You can preview it here:

The Nursery Rhyme Conundrum