About Professor John Terry FMedSci

John is an EPSRC Established Career Fellow and Professor of Digital Health Innovation at the University of Plymouth, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Neuronostics and Co-Founder of Hazelmoor Consultancy. He brings a unique combination of academic excellence and entrepreneurial expertise to the intersection of mathematics, computer science and medicine. Elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2025, John is an internationally renowned researcher with the ability to bridge between disciplines and connect diverse communities.

Prior to joining Plymouth, John held senior positions at the University of Birmingham, where he was Interdisciplinary Professorial Fellow and Founding Director of the Centre for Systems Modelling and Quantitative Biomedicine, and at the University of Exeter, where he was Professor of Biomedical Modelling and Associate Director of the Living Systems Institute. His career has been characterised by building interdisciplinary teams that bring together mathematicians, clinicians, computer scientists, and people with lived experience of disease.

Research and Innovation

John's research focuses on understanding complex biological systems, particularly brain networks in epilepsy and neuroendocrine dynamics. He has published over 80 peer-reviewed articles with over 5,750 citations and secured research funding exceeding £35 million. His theoretical insights into seizure generation have translated into practical clinical tools, exemplified by BioEP™, a groundbreaking digital biomarker for epilepsy diagnosis developed through Neuronostics.

As Managing Director of Neuronostics, John has built a vibrant company securing over £5M in grant and equity investment. The company's clinical decision support platform addresses the challenge that over 70% of EEG tests in suspected epilepsy cases are clinically inconclusive. Recent achievements include winning $125,000 at the Epilepsy Foundation Shark Tank competition (2024) and securing regulatory approval for NHS implementation. Neuronostics works closely with the University of Plymouth, with a number of clinical studies lead by the CIDER team.

Community Engagement and Leadership

John is passionate about connecting communities that traditionally operate in silos. Throughout his career, John has demonstrated exceptional leadership in fostering collaboration between academia, industry, the NHS, and patient communities. He champions an approach to research that ensures people with lived experience are central to the innovation process, from initial research questions through to commercial application.

His public engagement work includes co-creating "Beyond My Control" with Artistic Director Paul Jepson, a theatrical production that brings the mathematics of epilepsy diagnosis to life, and establishing an innovative artist-in-residency programme with Professor Caroline Gillett, where artistis became a critical part of the research teams.

He held an EPSRC Public Engagement Champion award (2023-2025) and was awarded TechSpark Founder of the Year in 2024.

Education

John has taught across mathematics and entrepreneurship curriculums, including co-developing the MSc Biomedical Innovation whilst at the University of Birmingham. His teaching philosophy emphasises interdisciplinary collaboration and real-world application of theoretical concepts.