He attended Bingley Grammar School before received a Bachelor of Science in Applied Physics and Electronics (1987) and a Doctor of Philosophy in (1991), under Peter V. East. McClintock, at Lancaster University, United Kingdom, with a thesis entitled Experiments in Stochastic Nonlinear Dynamics.
His early research work was undertaken in the Lancaster Nonlinear Group and focused on the development of the theory of nonequilibrium dynamical systems and, in particular, on stochastic resonance. Stocks moved to the University of Warwick in 1993 where he joined the Fluid Dynamics Research Centre and undertook studies on transition to turbulence. In 1996 he was awarded a Training and Mobility of Researchers European Union Fellowship and worked with Riccardo Mannella at Pisa University before subsequently returning to Warwick as a University of Warwick Research Fellow.
He was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2002, Reader in 2005, and full Professor in 2007.
Stocks" research interests are in the general area of stochastic nonlinear systems and biomimetics. In particular, his research has focused on neural coding mechanisms for cochlear implants and the development of biomimetic signal processing techniques.
In 2012 he was appointed Head of the School of Engineering at the University of Warwick - one of the United Kingdom"s largest integrated Schools of Engineering. Stocks" scientific genealogy runs as follows: 1768, Doctor of Medicine, University of Tübingen, Johann Friedrich Gmelin 1783, Medicinae Doctor, University of Göttingen, Georg Friedrich Hildebrandt 1800, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Johann Salomo Christoph Schweigger 1827, Philosophiae Doctor, University of Wittenberg, Wilhelm Eduard Weber 1863, Doctor of Natural Sciences, University of Göttingen, Friedrich Wilhelm Georg Kohlrausch 1887, Doctor of Natural Sciences, University of Würzburg, Walther Hermann Nernst 1922, Doctor Philosophy, University of Berlin, Franz Eugen Simon 1931, Doctor Philosophy, University of Berlin, Kurt Alfred Georg Mendelssohn 1952, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Oxford, Harold Max Rosenberg 1966, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Oxford, Peter Vaughan Elsmere McClintock 1991, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Lancaster, Nigel Geoffrey Stocks M.
