Ferdinando Samaria

Dr. Ferdinando Samaria is an Affiliated Lecturer at the Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge. He holds a B.A. in Electrical and Information Science Engineering and a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence from Trinity College, University of Cambridge. His current research interests focus on decentralised finance, machine learning applications in finance, and smart software systems for the financial industry. His earlier work pioneered face recognition technologies using Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), contributing to biometric systems and computer vision advancements.

Education:

• B.A. in Electrical and Information Science Engineering, Trinity College, University of Cambridge (1988)
• Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence (Face Recognition), Trinity College, University of Cambridge (1994)

Research Focus: Combines financial innovation with machine learning, exploring decentralized finance (DeFi) systems and intelligent software solutions. His foundational work in computer vision includes real-time gesture recognition, sensor systems (e.g., ORL active floor), and stochastic modeling for biometric identification.

Teaching: Instructs the MPhil ACS, Part III course on "Digital Money and Decentralised Finance" at the University of Cambridge.

Professional Experience: Spent over 20 years in investment banking roles, including founding Unicredit's investment bank in Milan and senior positions at Credit Suisse.