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William Nourse

Postdoc of the Month: William Nourse

PEOPLE | August 11, 2025
STORY BY: EDITORIAL STAFF

William Nourse’s interest in machines inspired by nature took hold when he watched Jurassic Park as a child. The animatronic dinosaurs were Nourse’s earliest exposure to engineering. 

As an undergraduate student majoring in mechanical and aerospace engineering at Case Western Reserve University, he found inspiration in nature.

Early in his college studies, Nourse came to realize even simple animals, such as insects, are far more sophisticated than state-of-the-art robotics.

Now a postdoctoral researcher at Case Western Reserve, Nourse found a fitting home in the Biologically Inspired Robotics Laboratory, working under the direction of Roger Quinn, Distinguished University Professor and the Arthur P. Armington Professor of Engineering at Case School of Engineering.

Nourse’s research is at the intersection of neuroscience, neuromorphic computing and robotics. He studies the sensory and motor nervous systems of species across the animal kingdom to uncover models that could help solve challenges in robotic navigation, legged locomotion and context-dependent decision-making. He then creates computational models from his findings to apply them to robotics and investigates the fundamentals of computation in the nervous system.

During his PhD program at CWRU, Nourse developed a software suite called SNS-Toolbox to design and simulate the dynamic systems of neurons and synapses. His software is being used around the world by research groups who have used it to accelerate their models.

Now, his work involves studying locomotion generation in the spinal cord as shown in new recordings in animals.

“CWRU has been a good home to me and a great place to do research, and I’ve enjoyed my time here so far,” said Nourse, who first arrived on campus as an undergraduate in 2014.

Once he completes his postdoc, Nourse hopes to continue researching these areas in academia or a national laboratory. 

Get to know Nourse better. 

Answers have been edited for clarity and length.

1. What brought you to CWRU? 

I was impressed with how interconnected the university is, and how easy it is to perform interdisciplinary work. As an undergraduate I was also excited about the promise of think[box] (back when it was just a single room in the Glennan Building). I also love the cultural amenities in University Circle, particularly the Cleveland Orchestra and the Cleveland Museum of Art. 

2. What have been the major milestones in your research and educational journey? 

In undergrad, I was accepted into the BS/MS program here at CWRU which first started my work in neural computation. Shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, I spent six months working as a visiting student researcher at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), where I had a chance to use experimental neuromorphic computer hardware. I have had the opportunity to present my work at multiple conferences around the world, with some highlights including Paris, Nara, Japan, and Genoa, Italy. Recently I have had the honor to be invited to speak at conferences and workshops on neuroscience and machine learning, including one at the NIH main campus in Bethesda and another at West Virginia University. 

3. How have you gotten involved at CWRU? 

As a postdoc, admittedly I haven’t had too much time to get involved with the greater CWRU community as shortly after starting, I became a parent. However, during my time as an undergraduate student I participated in the Case Aeronautics Team, and was a founding member of the modern CWRU chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. 

As a graduate student, I helped  lead multiple robotics outreach programs at a local summer camp, and I briefly served as a graduate student representative on the research subcommittee for the Faculty Senate. 

4. What advice do you have for fellow postdocs? 

CWRU is such a varied cultural institution, there is so much going on outside of your lab and department. While you’re here, take the time to visit the Cleveland Museum of Art, Natural History Museum, and  Cuyahoga Valley National Park. If you’re a history buff,  Lake View Cemetery is a nice walk as well.