Boris Bellalta

Boris Bellalta is a Full Professor at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) in Barcelona, Spain, where he leads the Wireless Networking research group within the Department of Information and Communication Technologies (DTIC). As an ICREA Academia awardee, he holds a prestigious recognition for research excellence in Catalonia. His academic role includes teaching courses in Queueing Models, Machine Learning, and Wireless Networking.

His research focuses on next-generation Wi-Fi systems, particularly IEEE 802.11 standards evolution (Wi-Fi 7/8), with emphasis on Multi-Link Operation (MLO), spatial reuse optimization, and machine learning applications for wireless networks. Recent work explores virtual reality streaming over Wi-Fi, multi-AP coordination, and AI/ML-native network architectures. His publication record shows consistent output with 22 papers in 2024 and 9 papers already in 2025, demonstrating active research leadership.

His recent publications reveal a strong trend toward integrating machine learning with wireless protocols, particularly for spatial reuse optimization in next-generation Wi-Fi standards. Key research areas include IEEE 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7) and IEEE 802.11bn (Wi-Fi 8), with significant focus on multi-AP coordination, low-latency communications for VR/XR applications, and federated learning approaches for decentralized network optimization. His work bridges theoretical modeling with practical implementation, often including experimental validation.

Scientific Awards:

• ICREA Academia awardee (prestigious Catalan research recognition)

As Principal Investigator, Bellalta leads multiple significant research projects including the EU MAX-R project, MLDR Chist-era project, and Wi-XR PGC2021 project. His research group has established collaborations across European institutions, with frequent co-authorship patterns indicating strong team leadership. While specific student names aren't listed in the provided materials, his numerous publications with junior researchers suggest active mentoring.

The Wireless Networking research group under his leadership maintains strong industry relevance, with research directly applicable to emerging Wi-Fi standards and next-generation wireless applications, particularly in the virtual reality and low-latency communications domains.