Dr. Chunyan Mu serves as a Senior Lecturer in the School of Natural and Computing Sciences at the University of Aberdeen, actively contributing to both academic instruction and cutting-edge research in computing science while currently accepting new PhD students. Her research program centers on Trustworthy AI and Safe Autonomy, with specialized expertise in formal verification of responsibility, accountability, and privacy mechanisms within multi-agent systems. She investigates resilience frameworks for autonomous intelligent systems and develops advanced methodologies for information flow security analysis, bridging theoretical computer science with practical security implementations. Analysis of her publication trajectory (2014-2025) reveals consistent innovation in applying formal methods to security-critical systems. Key thematic developments include probabilistic strategy logic for observability analysis, quantitative verification of opacity properties, and game-theoretic approaches to security verification, demonstrating increasing sophistication in handling multi-agent accountability and system resilience challenges. Dr. Mu currently supervises PhD candidates and offers a fully funded doctoral position focused on formal verification of safety properties in autonomous systems, providing comprehensive financial support including tuition coverage, £20,780 annual stipend, and dedicated research funding for candidates with strong backgrounds in formal methods and artificial intelligence.
Mustafa A. Mustafa is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in the Department of Computer Science at The University of Manchester, where he leads the Trusted Digital Systems Cluster as part of the university-wide Centre for Digital Trust and Society. His academic journey spans prestigious institutions including The University of Manchester, where he completed his PhD, and KU Leuven in Belgium, where he served as a post-doctoral research fellow. Dr. Mustafa earned his educational qualifications through an impressive academic path: a B.Sc. in communications from the Technical University of Varna, Bulgaria (2007), an M.Sc. in communications and signal processing from Newcastle University, UK (2010), and a Ph.D. in computer science from The University of Manchester, UK (2015). His doctoral research focused on "Smart Grid Security: Protecting Users' Privacy in Smart Grid Applications," laying the foundation for his subsequent research career. Dr. Mustafa's research expertise centers on information security, data privacy, and applied cryptography with particular focus on smart grid systems, smart city applications, e-health, and IoT. His work addresses critical challenges in securing peer-to-peer electricity trading markets, smart metering infrastructure, electric vehicle charging systems, and health data management. He has developed innovative solutions for keyless car sharing systems, frictionless authentication mechanisms, and privacy-preserving protocols for data collection and distribution. His scholarly contributions demonstrate a consistent trajectory toward increasingly sophisticated privacy-preserving techniques applied across multiple domains. Recent work shows a growing integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches with traditional cryptographic methods, particularly in federated learning systems and large language model verification. His research bridges theoretical cryptography with practical implementations in energy systems and healthcare applications. Dr. Mustafa's scientific achievements have been recognized with several prestigious awards: Winner of the Student Video Competition at IEEE SmartGridComm 2017 for "Secure and Privacy-friendly Local Electricity Trading" Best Paper Award at SECURWARE 2017 Distinguished Achievement Award as Postgraduate Research Student of the Year nominee by the School of Computer Science of The University of Manchester (2015) Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw Research Fellowship (2018-2023) As an academic supervisor, Dr. Mustafa has mentored numerous graduate students through their PhD and Master's research, with a particular focus on privacy and security challenges in emerging technologies. His current supervision portfolio includes research on privacy-friendly multi-agent systems for smart grids, security for IoT in e-health, vulnerability detection in IoT cryptography, and bot detection systems. He has secured significant research funding through multiple competitive grants including EnnCore: End-to-End Conceptual Guarding of Neural Architectures (EPSRC, 2020-2024), SCorCH: Secure Code for Capability Hardware (EPSRC, 2019-2023), and SNIPPET: Secure and Privacy-friendly Peer-to-peer Electricity Trading (FWO-SBO project, 2019-2023). Dr. Mustafa leads the Trusted Digital Systems Cluster within the Centre for Digital Trust and Society at The University of Manchester. His research group comprises PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and collaborators working on cutting-edge security and privacy solutions. The team maintains strong international collaborations, particularly with KU Leuven in Belgium, and contributes to standards development as evidenced by Dr. Mustafa's role as an expert in the IEC/SYC/WG 3 "IEC Smart Energy Roadmap."
Erisa Karafili is an Associate Professor in Cybersecurity at the University of Southampton. She leads Teaching Methods Innovation at the GCHQ/EPSRC Academic Centre of Excellence for Cyber Security Education (ACE-CSE) and is a Champion in Security by Design at ACE-CSR. A Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, she joined the University in 2020 after roles including a Marie Curie Fellowship at Imperial College London, where she investigated cyber-attack attribution techniques. Her research focuses on formal methods applied to security, IoT threat models, and secure data sharing frameworks. Education: PhD in non-classical logics applied to multi-agent systems security from the University of Verona. Previous positions include PostDoc at Technical University of Denmark and Researcher at Imperial College London. Research Interests: Cyber-attack attribution, IoT security, formal methods in cybersecurity, data privacy, and argumentation-based reasoning for security. Awards: Higher Education Academy Fellowship. Current PhD Students: Betul Gokkaya, Mohammed Homaid Alquliti, Peter Geoffrey Williams, Steve Johnson. Active Projects: Heterogeneous Material Integrated MEMS/NEMS-Photonics Platform for Secure Communication (collaborative with Jize Yan and others).
Soufiene Djahel is a Professor at the Centre for Future Transport and Cities (CFTC) at Coventry University, UK. His research focuses on connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), cyber security, and smart cities. He holds a PhD in Secure Routing and Medium Access Protocols from Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille (2010), and has held academic positions including Senior Lecturer at the University of Huddersfield and Manchester Metropolitan University. His research interests include CAV coordination protocols, cyber-physical security solutions, and intelligent transportation systems. Djahel leads projects such as the £1.2M AeroPharma Logistics initiative and has secured funding from the Newton Fund and JSPS. He is a recipient of the 2021 JSPS Invitational Fellowship and has published extensively in IEEE journals and conferences. Current projects explore UAVs-as-a-service, digital twins for CAVs, and B5G/6G for smart infrastructure. He advises PhD students on topics like AI-based threat mitigation and transport electrification. Djahel also serves as an external examiner and editorial board member for journals like IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems.
Professor Klaus McDonald-Maier is a full Professor in the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering (CSEE) at the University of Essex , where he leads the Embedded and Intelligent Systems (EIS) Research Laboratory and heads the Intelligent Embedded Systems and Environments Research Group . He is also Director of Impact , Visiting Professor at the University of Kent, and Visiting Research Affiliate at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. Education PhD in High-Performance Parallel Neural Network Architectures, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena (Germany, 1999) Electronic Engineering studies, University of Ulm (Germany) Electronic Engineering studies, Cardiff University (Wales) Electronic Engineering studies, École Supérieur de Chimie Physique Électronique de Lyon (CPE-Lyon) (France) Research Interests Professor McDonald-Maier’s research integrates embedded systems , System-on-Chip (SoC) architectures , and AI-driven robotics . He pioneers visual place recognition techniques that remain robust under severe appearance and viewpoint changes, develops cybersecurity frameworks based on ICMetrics for autonomous vehicles and IoT, and designs approximate real-time computing solutions for energy-constrained multicore and FPGA platforms. His work on radiation-tolerant systems supports space and nuclear applications, while his bio-inspired algorithms enable lightweight, neuromorphic perception on resource-limited robots. Publication Trends Between 2022 and 2025 his output converges on FPGA-accelerated AI , secure edge intelligence , visual navigation for autonomous systems , and healthcare analytics . He repeatedly couples rigorous algorithmic innovation with practical hardware deployment, yielding energy-efficient, real-time systems validated in domains ranging from autonomous driving to post-stroke rehabilitation. Scientific Awards & Recognition Best Paper Award – IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Computing (2024) Best Paper Award – IEEE/ACM DATE (2024) Best Paper Award – IEEE Systems Journal (2022) Best Paper Award – IEEE Sensors Journal (2021) Best Paper Award – IEEE Access (2020) Research Grants & Industrial Collaboration He has secured major funding from EPSRC , EU Horizon 2020 , Innovate UK , and industry partners. Current projects span trustworthy autonomy, radiation-hardened edge AI, and AI-enhanced rehabilitation technologies. He is Chief Scientist of UltraSoC Technologies Ltd and CEO of Metrarc Ltd , commercialising University research in semiconductor debug and cybersecurity respectively. Laboratory & Team Leadership As Director of the Embedded and Intelligent Systems Laboratory (EIS Lab) , he oversees a multidisciplinary team of researchers and PhD students, providing state-of-the-art FPGA, robotics, and embedded-systems facilities. The lab collaborates closely with NASA JPL, UK Atomic Energy Authority, and leading semiconductor firms to translate fundamental research into high-impact industrial solutions.
Prof. Ahmed Al-Dubai is a Professor at the School of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, Edinburgh Napier University, where he leads the IoT and Networked Systems Research Group and serves as Cybersecurity and Cyber Physical Systems Research Lead. His interdisciplinary research spans Multi-access Edge Computing, High-Performance Networks, Cognitive IoT Systems, VANETs, AI, E-Health, Smart Cities, and Security . He earned his PhD in Computing Science from the University of Glasgow in 2004. His recent publications focus on edge computing architectures, digital twin security, Arabic NLP, wireless energy harvesting, and vehicular communication . His work has been recognized with IEEE Outstanding Service Award, Best Paper Awards at IEEE IUCC 2015 and ACM MoMM 2013 , and fellowships like Senior IEEE Member and British Higher Education Academy Fellow . He supervises 20+ PhD students and has served on 60+ IEEE/ACM conference committees. Current projects include AI-driven fish identification (Innovate UK £265K) , secure IoT protocols (Royal Society £12K) , and COG-MHEAR (EPSRC £3.26M) . He has held visiting professorships at Universite de Valenciennes, University of Sydney, and University of Shenyang.
Mahsa Derakhshani is a Senior Lecturer (equivalent to Associate Professor) in Digital Communications at Loughborough University's Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering. She leads research in the Signal Processing and Networks Research Group (SPNRG) and serves as an Associate Editor for the IET Signal Processing Journal. Her academic journey includes a PhD from McGill University (2013), followed by postdoctoral roles at the University of Toronto and Imperial College London. Key awards include the Royal Academy of Engineering/The Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship (2020-21) and NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowships (2015-2017). Research interests focus on digital communications, machine learning for signal processing, wireless networks, and reinforcement learning applications. Recent work addresses challenges in satellite communications, OTFS modulation, and opto-physiological monitoring. She has authored over 70 publications spanning topics like NOMA systems, MIMO optimization, and edge-assisted live streaming. Education: PhD (McGill, 2013), MSc (Sharif University, 2008), BSc (Sharif University, 2006) Affiliations: IEEE Senior Member, IET Member, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Grants & Funding: Leverhulme Trust, Royal Academy of Engineering, NSERC Labs/Teams: Active in SPNRG and collaborates on projects involving 5G/6G networks, satellite systems, and biomedical signal processing. Current research emphasizes AI-driven solutions for communication networks and wearable health monitoring technologies.
Dr. Wenjuan Yu is a Lecturer at the School of Computing and Communications (SCC), InfoLab21, Lancaster University, UK. She holds a PhD in Communication Systems from Lancaster University and has held prior roles, including Research Fellow at the 5G Innovation Centre (5GIC), University of Surrey (2018–2020), and part-time Research Officer at the University of Essex (2017–2018). She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Senior Member of IEEE. Her research focuses on communication systems, with emphasis on radio resource management, mMTC, low-latency communications, B5G/6G, MEC, and machine learning. She actively contributes to IEEE conferences as a Technical Program Committee (TPC) member and holds editorial roles, including Executive Editor for Transactions on Emerging Telecommunications Technologies (2019–2022). Current teaching includes CNSCC141 Professionalism in Practice and CNSCC365 Advanced Networking . Dr. Yu supervises PhD students in EE/CS, particularly welcoming applicants from China via CSC scholarships. Her projects include DSI-funded initiatives on sustainable AI-driven resource allocation for 6G and Smart Multi-RAT Traffic Steering for V2X systems. She leads research groups in Security Lancaster (Networks, Systems, Distributed Systems).
Charles Gillan is a Senior Lecturer at Queen's University Belfast's School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, affiliated with the High Performance and Distributed Computing department and the Institute of Electronics, Communications & Information Technology. His research bridges HPC systems, AI applications in healthcare, and computational physics. Key projects include managing ICU patient care via neural networks, exascale-ready mathematical packages, and edge computing architectures. Research interests focus on high-performance computing (HPC), quantum computing, real-time data analytics, and electron-molecule scattering simulations. Notable contributions include developing microserver architectures for edge analytics and advancing AI-driven clinical decision support systems. Gillan has collaborated on interdisciplinary projects like food authenticity testing using spectroscopy and improving ventilator management in intensive care units. Publications span AI in healthcare, HPC system design, and computational methods for physics problems. He has secured funding for initiatives such as the KTP partnership with Foods Connected Ltd and the HANDHELD olfactory detection project. Gillan's work emphasizes practical applications of advanced computing across healthcare, engineering, and cybersecurity domains.
Dr. Aryan Kaushik is an Associate Professor at Manchester Metropolitan University (Manchester Met), UK, since 2024, affiliated with the Department of Computing and Mathematics. He also serves as Chief Advisor at RakFort, Ireland, since 2025. Previously, he was an Assistant Professor (senior grade) at the University of Sussex, UK, from 2021-24, and held roles as Recruitment and Admissions Tutor and Academic Advisor there. His academic journey includes a Research Fellow position at University College London (2020-21), and a PhD in Communications Engineering from the University of Edinburgh (2019). He holds an MSc in Telecommunications from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (2015). Education: PhD in Communications Engineering, University of Edinburgh (2019) MSc in Telecommunications, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (2015) Professional Roles: Chair of IEEE ComSoc ETI on Electromagnetic Signal and Information Theory (since 2024) Core Member of IEEE P1955 Standard on 6G-Empowering Robotics Editorial roles across multiple IEEE journals and conferences His research focuses on 5G/6G wireless communications , integrated sensing and communications , reconfigurable holographic surfaces , non-terrestrial networks , and AI-driven network optimization . He has led UKRI-funded projects on topics like AI-assisted ISAC and Net Zero 6G, and collaborates globally with institutions like IIIT-Delhi, University of Bologna, and Imperial College London. Dr. Kaushik has received awards including the Top Editor Award 2025 (IEEE IoT Magazine), Best Editor Awards 2023-2024 (IEEE Open Journal), and was shortlisted for teaching excellence awards at Sussex. He actively contributes to standardization, serves on over 14 IEEE conference committees, and has delivered 110+ keynote/tutorial talks worldwide. His leadership extends to roles like TPC Co-Chair at IEEE ICC 2025 and Chair of Special Interest Groups on AI-driven Non-Terrestrial Networks and Fluid Antenna Systems.
Miroslaw Bober is Professor of Video Processing at the University of Surrey, where he joined in 2011. He leads the Visual Media Analysis team within the Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing (CVSSP) in the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering. His extensive industry experience includes 15 years as General Manager of the Mitsubishi Electric R&D Centre Europe and Head of Research for its Visual & Sensing Division. BSc and MSc in Electrical Engineering from AGH University of Science and Technology, Krakow, Poland (1990) MSc in Machine Intelligence with distinction from Surrey University (1991) PhD in Computer Vision from Surrey University (1995) Professor Bober's research focuses on novel techniques in signal processing, computer vision and machine learning with applications in industry, healthcare, big-data and security. His expertise particularly lies in image and video analysis and retrieval, including visual search, object recognition, and analysis of motion, shape and texture. His algorithms for shape analysis, image/video fingerprinting, and visual search are considered world-leading and have been selected for ISO International standards within MPEG, with applications used by organizations like the Metropolitan Police. His recent publication trends show a strong focus on hybrid network architectures, scene graph generation, medical imaging applications, and augmented reality publishing systems. His work spans both theoretical advancements in computer vision and practical implementations addressing real-world challenges in media, healthcare, and security domains. The research demonstrates a consistent pattern of bridging academic innovation with industrial applications, particularly in visual search technology and media analysis. Presidential Award for strengthening the TV business in Japan via innovative 'Visual Navigation' content access technology (2010) Mitsubishi Best Invention Award for Image Signature Technology (2008) Professor Bober serves as Programme Director for the MSc in Multimedia Signal Processing and Communications and holds various teaching and mentoring roles. He has secured over 30 research and industrial grants totaling more than £16M, including the BRIDGET FP-7 project (5.28 M€) as coordinator and PI, and the CODAM project (£1.05 M) as PI. His work with the BBC, Huawei, and other industry partners demonstrates strong industry-academia collaboration. As chair of MPEG technical work on Compact Descriptors for Visual Search (CDVS) and Compact Descriptors for Video Analysis (CDVA), Professor Bober leads international standardization efforts. His Visual Media Analysis team develops cutting-edge visual search and media analysis algorithms with applications across broadcast, security, and healthcare domains.
Ben Ward-Cherrier is a Senior Lecturer in Robotics at the University of Bristol's School of Engineering Mathematics and Technology. His research focuses on biomimetic tactile sensing, neuromorphic systems for robotics, and haptic interfaces. He develops artificial tactile systems inspired by biological sensory mechanisms for applications in prosthetics, robotic manipulation, and human-robot interaction. Key research areas include neuromorphic tactile sensors that mimic biological afferents, real-time texture and edge classification algorithms, incipient slip detection for stable grasping, and vibrotactile feedback systems. Recent work integrates spiking neural networks with tactile hardware for efficient sensory processing. Publications demonstrate advancement in tactile sensing capabilities, including braille recognition in noisy environments, psychophysics-inspired benchmarking, multi-modal texture/velocity classification, and industrial applications like composite defect detection. Research bridges computational neuroscience with practical robotic systems.
Dr. Deepak GC is a Senior Lecturer in Cyber Security and Digital Forensics at Kingston University's School of Computer Science and Mathematics, Department of Networks and Digital Media. He holds a PhD in Wireless Communication Systems from Lancaster University, an MEng in Wireless Networks from Chonbuk National University, and a BEng in Electronics and Communication from Pokhara University. His research focuses on physical layer security , radio access technologies , 5G and beyond networks , spectrum sensing , IoT protocols , drone communications , and blockchain technologies . Recent work includes UAV-assisted networks for disaster resilience, energy-efficient IoT frameworks, and blockchain applications for network security. Dr. GC has participated in EU FP7 S3isE, EU H2020 Wi-5, and UK EPSRC DARE projects. He contributes to academic governance as a representative on Kingston's Faculty Research Degree Committee and University Data Champion. Cisco Certification Fellow of Higher Education Academy He actively supervises PhD students in cybersecurity and wireless technologies and teaches modules including Threat Hunting, Cyber Crime, and Digital Forensics.
Professor Ning Wang is a leading academic in communication systems at the University of Surrey's Institute for Communication Systems (ICS), School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering. He holds a PhD from the University of Surrey (2004) and has expertise in 5G/6G networks, edge computing, and space-terrestrial integration. As a coordinator for the EuroMaster Programme and Communication Networks and Software (CNS) pathway, he leads research in network management, mobile video delivery, and IoT applications. His work has been featured in IEEE ComSoc Technology News three times since 2012. Current leadership roles include 5GIC Work Area 1 leader for content and network context. Research collaborations span global institutions like UCL, ETH Zurich, and industry partners like BT and InterDigital. Notable contributions include SDN-based space-terrestrial network integration (VDPA scheme) and O-RAN automation via federated DRL. Over 130 publications and active participation in standards bodies (IETF, 3GPP) reflect his impact on future network architectures. Educations: BEng in Computing (Changchun University of Science and Technology, 1996) MEng in Electronic Engineering (Nanyang Technological University, 2000) PhD in Electronic Engineering (University of Surrey, 2004) Research Focus: Future Internet design, network intelligence, content-centric networking, and satellite integration. Key projects include EU Horizon Europe SPIRIT (immersive telepresence), ESA TINA (satellite 5G functions), and EPSRC NG-CDI (converged digital infrastructures). His research emphasizes practical solutions like edge-AI for VNF splitting and holographic frame synchronisation. Grants & Projects: Over £20M in grants from EPSRC, EU Horizon, InnovateUK, and Royal Society. Active in EU-funded SAT5G (satellite-terrestrial 5G) and C-DAX (smart grid cybersecurity).
Professor George Ghinea is a distinguished academic in the Department of Computer Science at Brunel University London's College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences. With over 350 publications and 33 successfully supervised PhD students, he leads cutting-edge research at the intersection of computer science, media studies, and psychology. His educational background includes a PhD from the University of Reading (1999) where he pioneered the Quality of Perception (QoP) metric - a precursor to today's widely adopted Quality of Experience (QoE) concept. He holds multiple degrees with distinction from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, including BSc, BSc (Hons), and MSc in Computer Science. Professor Ghinea's research focuses on perceptual multimedia quality and human-centered e-systems, with particular emphasis on mulsemedia (multiple sensorial media) - his own conceptual framework extending multimedia to engage non-traditional senses. His work spans eye-tracking applications, telemedicine, multi-modal interaction, and ubiquitous computing. Current research explores mulsemedia integration in autonomous vehicles, security-enhanced systems, and accessibility solutions. His publications reveal strong trends in multisensory computing (42% of recent works), telemedicine applications (28%), accessibility research (18%), and network optimization (12%). The work consistently bridges theoretical frameworks with practical implementations, often incorporating physiological data and user perception metrics. Distinguished Visiting Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (2018) SPARC DUO-India 2020 Fellowship Programme recipient Principal Investigator for multiple EU Horizon 2020 projects Research featured in major media including BBC, Forbes, and Daily Telegraph Professor Ghinea has secured substantial research funding through projects like the EU H2020 NEWTON initiative, Royal Academy of Engineering partnerships, and multiple Newton Fund collaborations. His supervision portfolio includes 33 PhD completions with diverse research spanning security behavior in Ghana, physiological QoE in VR, smart city adoption in Oman, and sustainable digital transformation in Qatar. He leads the IMUSY research group focusing on mulsemedia systems and human perception. His laboratory work centers on the IMUSY research group where they develop mulsemedia applications integrating thermal, wind, and olfactory devices for enhanced user experiences. Current team projects include mulsemedia in autonomous vehicles (MulsEAV), physiological data for QoE assessment, and smart city adoption studies.
