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Rong Zheng is a Professor in the Department of Computing and Software and a member of the School of Biomedical Engineering at McMaster University, Canada. She holds a Tier-1 Canada Research Chair in Mobile Computing and serves as Acting Chair of the Computing and Software department from July to December 2025. She is also an Associate Member of the Electrical & Computer Engineering department. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA Master of Engineering (thesis) in Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China Dr. Zheng's research lies at the intersection of mobile computing, wireless networking, and machine learning, with a strong focus on applications for aging populations. She directs the NSERC Smart Mobility for the Aging Population CREATE program. Her work encompasses sensor development, wireless network design, and mobile data analytics to address real-world challenges in healthcare, mobility, and data center monitoring. She has developed innovative solutions like the MacQuest campus navigation app and has captured first prize in indoor localization competitions. Her recent publications demonstrate a clear trajectory toward applying wireless sensing technologies (particularly acoustic, Wi-Fi, and mmWave) to health monitoring and mobility assessment for older adults. There's a strong emphasis on developing efficient edge computing solutions that can process data in real-time on resource-constrained devices, as exemplified by her TeamNet framework for collaborative inference on the edge. Her work bridges theoretical advances with practical applications that have social impact. Scientific Awards: Tier-1 Canada Research Chair in Mobile Computing US National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2006) Joseph Ip Distinguished Engineering Fellow (2015-2018) Dr. Zheng leads the Wireless System Research Group (WiSeR) at McMaster University, which has secured significant funding including a $1.65M NSERC CREATE grant for smart mobility research for older adults. Her research has been supported by multiple funding agencies including NSERC, NSF, UH GEAR, and DURIP. She actively mentors graduate students and has developed specialized courses including CAS 772 (Mobile Data Analytics) and CAS 781 (Mobility in the Aging Population). The WiSeR group conducts impactful research on communication, networking, and data analytics issues in Cyber Physical Systems, with applications spanning healthcare, smart infrastructure, and data center monitoring. Their work on data center infrastructure monitoring networks has been featured in EurekAlert and Data Center Dynamics, and they've made significant contributions to indoor localization technology.

• Mobile computing
• Wireless networking
• Cyber physical systems
• +4 more

Ahmad Al-Dabbagh is an Assistant Professor in Manufacturing Engineering and holds a Principal's Research Chair in Control Systems (Tier 2) with the School of Engineering at The University of British Columbia. As a Senior Member of IEEE and ISA, he contributes significantly to the field of resilient automation and control systems through research, teaching, and professional service. His academic journey includes postdoctoral fellowships at Imperial College London, the University of Toronto, and the University of Alberta, where he also earned his PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Dr. Al-Dabbagh's research focuses on designing resilient automation and control systems by addressing critical challenges in fault diagnosis, cyber security, and alarm management. His work spans theoretical foundations and practical applications in industrial control systems, with particular emphasis on detection and isolation of faults and cyber attacks, control reconfiguration, event-triggered control, remote state estimation, and alarm systems design. His research interests also extend to causality analysis, prediction methods, and root cause analysis for industrial processes. His extensive publication record demonstrates consistent contributions to control systems security and reliability, with recent work focusing on sophisticated methods for detecting false data injection attacks, analyzing alarm correlations using advanced machine learning techniques, and developing recommender systems for human operators in industrial environments. The trajectory of his research shows an evolution from foundational control theory toward increasingly complex applications in cyber-physical security and human-system interaction in industrial settings. NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship NSERC Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS – D3) Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship Governor General's Academic Medal (Gold) As a graduate student supervisor, Dr. Al-Dabbagh mentors the next generation of control systems engineers while maintaining an active research program. He serves as an Associate Editor on the IEEE Control Systems Society Conference Editorial Board and is a licensed Professional Engineer in British Columbia and Ontario. His teaching portfolio includes courses such as System Identification, Digital Enterprise, Systems and Control, and Internet of Things, reflecting the breadth of his expertise. Dr. Al-Dabbagh leads the Okanagan Laboratory for Control Systems Research, where his team develops innovative approaches to enhance the security and reliability of industrial automation systems. The laboratory serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research that bridges theoretical control engineering with practical industrial applications, particularly in the energy, manufacturing, and process industries.

• Control Systems
• Automation Systems
• Fault Diagnosis
• +3 more

Rajesh Karki is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Engineering. He holds a B.E., M.Sc., and Ph.D. in related fields. His research focuses on power system reliability, renewable energy integration, and microgrid resilience, with particular emphasis on addressing challenges posed by extreme weather, cyber threats, and decarbonization targets. Dr. Karki’s work spans theoretical modeling, probabilistic analysis, and practical implementation strategies for smart grids, energy storage systems, and distributed generation. His educational background includes advanced degrees in electrical engineering, complemented by professional engineering licensure (P.Eng.). His research has explored diverse topics such as wind energy curtailment mitigation, energy storage optimization, and demand response mechanisms in developing economies like Nepal. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications on grid resilience, reliability economics, and cyber-physical system security. Key themes in his work include: (1) quantifying the reliability value of energy storage in active distribution systems, (2) modeling cyber-physical threats to microgrids, and (3) developing frameworks for extreme weather-resilient infrastructure. Despite the volume of his publications (over 50 articles), no specific awards or grants are explicitly listed in the provided materials. His research often intersects technical, economic, and policy dimensions of sustainable energy systems.

• Power Systems
• Renewable Energy Integration
• Grid Reliability
• +3 more

Dr. Saiedeh Razavi is an Associate Professor and the inaugural Chair in Heavy Construction at McMaster University's Department of Civil Engineering, directing the McMaster Institute for Transportation and Logistics (MITL). She holds a multidisciplinary background with degrees in Computer Engineering (B.Sc., Sharif University), Artificial Intelligence (M.Sc., Iran), and Civil Engineering (Ph.D., Waterloo). Her research focuses on smart infrastructure, connected mobility, and construction safety, funded by NSERC and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. Key areas include transforming construction management through AI, autonomous vehicles, and smart work zones. Education: B.Sc. (Sharif), M.Sc. (Iran), Ph.D. (Waterloo) Research Interests: Smart cities, connected vehicle systems, data fusion, risk analysis, and sustainable logistics Leadership Roles: Director of MITL, Associate Chair (Research), and lead of national/international multidisciplinary projects Her work bridges academia, government, and industry to enhance mobility and safety. Notable grants include NSERC funding for transformative transportation systems. Awards include teaching excellence and innovation in team-based projects. Grants & Projects: NSERC, Ontario Ministry of Transportation, and industry collaborations Labs/Teams: MITL, CPS-based construction safety initiatives, and autonomous vehicle research groups

• Smart Infrastructure
• Intelligent Transportation Systems
• Construction Management Automation
• +5 more

Dr. Kalikinkar Mandal is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Computer Science at the University of New Brunswick (UNB), Fredericton, Canada. He holds the prestigious NB Power Cybersecurity Research Chair for smart grid security and privacy, a position supported by $500,000 in funding from NB Power for a five-year term. Dr. Mandal is also a member of the Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity (CIC), an ACM member, and a member of the International Association for Cryptologic Research (IACR). Education: PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Waterloo (2013) MTech in Computer Science from the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata (2009) Additional Master's degree in Mathematics Dr. Mandal's research broadly focuses on cryptography, cybersecurity, and privacy, with specific expertise in lightweight cryptography, privacy-preserving computation, security and privacy in smart grids and Internet of Things (IoT), trusted computing, and high-speed cryptography. His work addresses critical challenges in securing emerging technologies, particularly in energy infrastructure where cybersecurity threats can have severe consequences for essential services. His research bridges theoretical cryptography with practical applications in real-world systems. Analysis of Dr. Mandal's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on cryptographic techniques for resource-constrained environments, particularly for smart grid and IoT applications. His work spans theoretical foundations of cryptographic primitives, practical implementations of lightweight ciphers, and innovative privacy-preserving protocols for emerging technologies. A notable trend in his research is the development of efficient cryptographic solutions that balance security requirements with performance constraints in critical infrastructure systems. Scientific Awards: NB Power Cybersecurity Research Chair ($500,000 funding) Contributor to multiple cryptographic algorithms (ACE, SPIX, SpoC, WAGE) that reached Round 2 of NIST Lightweight Cryptography standardization Dr. Mandal actively mentors graduate students in cybersecurity research, currently supervising three students working on cryptographic protocols for cyber-physical systems, cybersecurity in advanced metering infrastructure, and privacy for electric vehicles. His NB Power Cybersecurity Research Chair supports research that provides training opportunities for both graduate and undergraduate students, preparing them as future cybersecurity leaders. Through direct applied research, knowledge dissemination, and student training, his work addresses critical challenges in power and security infrastructure. Dr. Mandal is actively involved in several research initiatives related to lightweight cryptography. He is part of the development teams for ACE, SPIX, SpoC, and WAGE - all of which were Round 2 candidates in the NIST Lightweight Cryptography standardization project. His GitHub repository (comsec-lwc) contains reference and optimized implementations of these cryptographic algorithms. He also contributes to the Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity at UNB, focusing on practical applications of cryptographic techniques in critical infrastructure security.

• Cryptography
• Cybersecurity
• Privacy
• +7 more

Anil Somayaji is an Associate Professor in the School of Computer Science at Carleton University, serving as Associate Director of the Carleton Internet Security Lab (CISL). He holds a Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico (2002) and a B.S. in Mathematics from MIT. His research integrates biological principles with computer security, focusing on software diversity, Linux technologies like eBPF, and adaptive defense mechanisms inspired by the human immune system. Teaching responsibilities include courses such as Fundamentals of Web Applications (COMP 2406), Operating Systems (COMP 3000), and Distributed Operating Systems (COMP 4000/5102). He also leads graduate courses on Operating System/Web Security and Biological Approaches to Computer Security. Current advisees include Lavesh Kamalesh (MHCI), Savannah Sidle (MHCI), and John Shortt (PhD, co-supervised). Research interests span computer security, operating systems, intrusion detection, complex adaptive systems, and artificial life. Notable projects include ebpH (a Linux security tool) and contributions to program committees for the New Security Paradigms Workshop. His work emphasizes practical applications of theoretical concepts, such as using eBPF for runtime process confinement and developing context-aware authentication systems. He collaborates with the Carleton Cyber Security Lab (CCSL) and maintains active engagement in interdisciplinary cybersecurity initiatives. His lab focuses on mitigating vulnerabilities through diversity-based approaches and advancing secure system design principles.

• Computer Security
• Operating Systems
• Intrusion Detection
• +3 more

Jason Jaskolka is an Associate Professor in the Department of Systems and Computer Engineering at Carleton University, part of the Faculty of Engineering and Design. He holds a Ph.D. from McMaster University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Ontario. His research focuses on cyber security evaluation and assurance, formal methods, and secure software engineering. He leads the Cyber Security Evaluation and Assurance (CyberSEA) Lab, emphasizing security-by-design principles for complex systems like industrial control systems and IoT-enabled healthcare. Education: Ph.D. (Software Engineering, McMaster University, 2015), M.A.Sc. (Software Engineering, McMaster University, 2010), B.Eng. (Software Engineering and Game Design, McMaster University, 2009). Research interests include: Cyber Security Evaluation & Assurance, Data-Driven Security Metrics, Formal Verification of Security Properties, Secure Software Architecture Design, and Industrial Cyber-Physical Systems Security. His work addresses challenges in threat modeling, compliance with security standards, and mitigating implicit system vulnerabilities. Recognition includes the 2021 New Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award for innovative pedagogy. He actively supervises graduate students in funded research positions. Key collaborations include Health Canada's Scientific Advisory Committee on Digital Health Technologies and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity Postdoctoral Fellowship at Stanford University. Labs/Teams: CyberSEA Lab, focusing on developing rigorous security evaluation frameworks and tools for software-dependent systems.

• Cyber Security Evaluation
• Security Assurance
• Formal Methods
• +4 more

Gabriela Nicolescu is a Professor at Polytechnique Montréal , affiliated with the Department of Computer Engineering and Software Engineering and the LAMA-WeST (Web, Semantics and Text) research group. Her work focuses on design methodologies , programming , and security for advanced systems integrating 3D SoCs , optical networks , and heterogeneous technologies . Education: B.Sc. and M.Sc., Politehnica Bucharest Ph.D., Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble (2002), awarded Best Thesis in Microelectronics Research Interests include cybersecurity for avionics , security by design for cyber-physical systems , advanced programming models for multi-core systems , and modeling/simulation of heterogeneous systems . She has contributed to fields like optical networks on chip , real-time embedded systems , and edge computing security . Recent Publications highlight her leadership in all-optical neural networks , formal verification , and security for avionic systems . Her work spans machine learning-driven intrusion detection , photonic integrated circuits , and ontology-based cybersecurity frameworks . Scientific Awards: Best Thesis in Microelectronics, Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble (2002) Student Supervision encompasses doctoral and master’s theses in areas such as multi-core RTOS , security in autonomous systems , AI-based penetration testing , and performance optimization in avionics . Current advisees include Felipe Magalhaes , Julien Carayol , and Kacem Khaled , while completed supervision includes A. S. Shahnejat Bushehri and Rami Zrelli . She is actively involved in collaborative research projects addressing national cybersecurity priorities and safer aircraft design , as highlighted in media outlets like The Globe and Mail and Science-Presse .

• Cybersecurity for Avionics
• Security by Design for Cyber-Physical Systems
• Advanced Programming Models for Avionic Multi and Many-Core Systems
• +11 more

Hausi Müller is a Professor in the University of Victoria 's Department of Computer Science under the Faculty of Engineering & Computer Science . He serves as Chair of the IEEE Quantum Technical Community and co-founded the IEEE International Conference on Quantum Computing & Engineering . His academic journey began with a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Rice University (1986), followed by a Master's degree (1984) and a Dip.-Ing. from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (1979). Research Interests: Dr. Müller's work spans quantum software engineering , self-adaptive systems , cyber-physical systems , and program understanding . He pioneered the Rigi reverse engineering tool and developed frameworks like SAVI for adaptive video analytics. Recent Publications: His 2025 articles focus on penalty-free quantum optimization and hybrid quantum software engineering , while 2024 contributions explore quantum cryptography education and notation translation tools . Earlier works address energy consumption modeling and cyber-physical system design . Awards: 2024 IEEE Computer Society Distinguished Leadership Award 2023 IEEE iCON Award for Quantum Week 2011 IBM Canada CAS Research Project of the Year for Personal Context Sphere 2012 CASCON Best Paper Award for SmarterDeals Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (FCAE) and Canadian Software Engineering Association (FCSSE) Grants & Projects: 2024-29 NSERC Quantum Software Consortium 2023-28 NSERC Discovery Grant for Hybrid Quantum Systems 2021-25 IBM CAS Cognitive Digital Twin Framework 2018-25 NSERC CREATE for Dependable IoT Applications Leadership: Dr. Müller has held multiple IEEE leadership roles since 2015, including Vice President of IEEE CS Technical & Conferences Board (2016-18), and active involvement in organizing international workshops in Shonan (Japan) and Dagstuhl (Germany).

• Software Engineering
• Quantum Computing
• Self-Adaptive Systems
• +11 more

Ranwa Al-Mallah is an Associate Professor in Cybersecurity at the Department of Computer Engineering and Software Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal, Québec, Canada. She specializes in secure and resilient AI applications for cyber-physical systems, with a focus on intelligent transportation systems, federated learning, and cybersecurity. Education: Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Canada Master's degree in Computer and Software Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Canada Ph.D. in Computer and Software Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Canada Research Interests: Her research integrates artificial intelligence , cybersecurity , and intelligent transportation systems . She explores how AI can be used to secure and optimize systems like connected autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and critical infrastructure. Her work spans adversarial machine learning, federated learning, blockchain, and reinforcement learning in the context of cyber threats and resilience. Publications Overview: Her recent publications emphasize the intersection of AI and cybersecurity, particularly in federated learning , autonomous systems , and cyber-physical infrastructure . These works address pressing challenges such as poisoning attacks, behavior attestation, and secure multi-agent systems in transportation and IoT networks. Scientific Contributions & Collaborations: Published in top-tier venues including IEEE Access , ACM Transactions on Privacy and Security , and IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems Collaborates with institutions like Ryerson University and the Royal Military College of Canada Active in presenting at international conferences and workshops Teaching & Mentorship: She has taught courses in procedural programming, network security, and AI in cybersecurity. She is actively recruiting graduate students and has supervised both undergraduate and graduate research assistants. Labs & Affiliations: She is affiliated with LiTrans (Laboratory of Innovations in Transportation) and the New Frontiers in Information and Communications Technologies center at Polytechnique Montréal.

• Cybersecurity
• Artificial Intelligence
• Intelligent Transportation Systems
• +7 more

Wenbo He is an Assistant Professor in the School of Computer Science at McGill University. Previously, he held academic positions at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (EE department, 2010-2011) and the University of New Mexico (CS department, 2008-2010). He earned his Ph.D. from the MONET Group at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2008. His research focuses on Wireless Sensor Networks, Mobile and Pervasive Computing, Security and Privacy, Cloud Computing, and Cyber-Physical Systems. Education: Ph.D., Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2008) Research Interests: Designing secure and efficient protocols for wireless networks Privacy-preserving data aggregation in sensor networks Energy-efficient systems and fault-tolerant architectures Adversarial analysis in mobile and cloud environments Awards: Best Paper Award at ACM Conference WiSec'11 Best Paper Award at IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics (2008) Mavis Memorial Fund Scholarship Award (2006) C. W. Gear Outstanding Graduate Award (2007) Vodafone Fellowship (2005-2008) NSF TRUST Fellowship (2007 and 2009) Advising & Grants: While specific grants are not listed, his research has been supported by prestigious fellowships such as the NSF TRUST and Vodafone. He has advised/co-authored numerous papers with colleagues and students in networking and security domains. Labs/Teams: His work integrates interdisciplinary approaches, often collaborating with teams focused on cyber-physical systems and real-time computing.

• Wireless Sensor Networks
• Mobile and Pervasive Computing
• Security and Privacy
• +3 more

Professor Andreas Veneris, currently at the University of Toronto , holds cross-appointments in the Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering , Department of Computer Science , and the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy . He earned his Diploma in Computer Engineering from the University of Patras (1991), M.S. in Computer Science from USC (1992), and Ph.D. in Computer Science from UIUC (1998). AAAS ACM Fellow IEEE Fellow Professional Engineers of Ontario Technical Chamber of Greece Planetary Society NSERC COHESA Network Director His research spans two decades of CAD/VLSI design automation followed by blockchain technology focusing on CBDCs , smart contract verification , DeFi mechanisms , and techno-legal Web3.0 policy . Recent work includes ASTRAEA decentralized oracle , DeFi insurance protocols , and privacy-preserving CBDC architectures . Award highlights: ACM SIGSOFT Distinguished Paper (ICSE 2024) IEEE Best Paper Awards (2024, 2022, 2020) ACM SIGARCH Maurice Wilkes Award MICRO Hall of Fame He advises Ph.D. candidates in blockchain and machine learning while leading research sponsored by Ripple (UBRI) , Huawei , and IBM . His group develops value-based accelerators for deep learning and formal verification frameworks for smart contracts. Selected projects include: HEMVM (Interoperable Blockchain VMs) BAKUP (DeFi Insurance Protocol) SigVM (Event-Driven Smart Contracts) CnvluTin (Ineffectual Neuron-Free CNNs) Stripes (Precision-Variable DL Accelerators)

• Computer Engineering
• Blockchain Technology
• Formal Methods
• +4 more