Riccardo Poli
Riccardo Poli is an AI researcher whose work spans evolutionary computation, genetic programming, and brain-computer interfaces. He studied electronic and biomedical engineering in Florence, worked at Birmingham, and moved to the University of Essex. He and William Langdon co-wrote Foundations of Genetic Programming, and his research included particle-swarm optimization and a collaborative brain-computer interface study of group decisions. He helped found Essex's BCI-NE group in 2004 and received the 2023 SIGEVO Outstanding Contribution Award. As of October 2026, he is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Essex.
- Now at
- University of Essex
- Works
- 439
Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 15 October 2026. Citations and h-index are hidden because this OpenAlex record may be incomplete or mix in other authors.
Timeline
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1989–1993
Engineering degrees at Florence
He earns a Laurea in electronic engineering with a biomedical specialisation in 1989 and completes a PhD in biomedical engineering at the University of Florence in 1993.
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1994–2001
Birmingham to Essex
He works as a Lecturer and then a Reader at the University of Birmingham from 1994 until 2001, when he moves to Essex as a professor.
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2002
A genetic programming book
In 2002, he and William B. Langdon publish Foundations of Genetic Programming, a book that consolidates theoretical work on genetic programming.
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2004
Co-founding a BCI group
He co-founds Essex's Brain-Computer Interfaces and Neural Engineering group (BCI-NE) in 2004.
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2007
A particle-swarm analysis
In 2007, he coauthors a paper on the theoretical derivation, analysis, and empirical evaluation of a simpler particle-swarm optimiser.
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2014
A collaborative BCI study
In 2014, he, Davide Valeriani, and Caterina Cinel report a collaborative brain-computer interface that combines behavioural responses and neural features to improve group-decision accuracy.
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2023
A SIGEVO contribution award
At GECCO in Lisbon, he receives the 2023 SIGEVO Outstanding Contribution Award for his role as one of the founders of evolutionary algorithms.
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As of October 2026
Emeritus professor at Essex
As of October 2026, he is an Emeritus Professor in Essex's School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering; his research interests include artificial intelligence, genetic programming, particle swarms, and brain-computer interfaces.
Sources and credits
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