Iraklis Giannakis

Dr. Iraklis Giannakis is a Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen's School of Geosciences. He holds a PhD from the University of Edinburgh (2015), with earlier degrees from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. His research focuses on geophysics, machine learning, and GPR applications in landmine detection, planetary science, and forestry. Dr. Giannakis is a core contributor to the open-source gprMax software, used globally for FDTD simulations. He has published over 55 articles, with recent work emphasizing lunar and Martian radar data analysis, deep learning for subsurface imaging, and planetary surface characterization.

Education:

• Bachelor's and Master's in Geophysics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2009, 2011)
• PhD in Geophysics from the University of Edinburgh (2015), funded by DSTL and EPSRC

Research Interests: Machine learning in geophysics, GPR for landmine detection, non-destructive testing, planetary subsurface exploration, and forestry applications. His work integrates computational geophysics with advanced signal processing and inversion techniques.

Key Projects:

• gprMax: Open-source FDTD solver for GPR
• Lunar/Mars radar analysis (Chang’E-4, Yutu-2 missions)
• COST Action TU1208 collaborative research
• Industry partnerships (e.g., D-Box demining tools)

Awards: Best Paper Award at the 15th International Conference on GPR (2015).

Grants & Collaborations: Funded by Google Fiber, EPSRC, and international partnerships. Active in journals like Icarus and Geophysics.

Labs/Teams: Part of the Planetary Geophysics group at Aberdeen, contributing to lunar and Martian surface studies using radar data.