Esma Uflaz

Esma Uflaz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Maritime Transportation Operations Engineering at Istanbul Technical University. Her research focuses on enhancing maritime safety through advanced analytical methodologies and human factors engineering.

Key research areas include:

• Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) using Evidential Reasoning and SPAR-H approaches
• Cybersecurity in maritime systems (GPS spoofing detection, cyber-attack risk quantification)
• Operational Risk Modeling via Bayesian networks and Dempster-Shafer theory
• Strategic Decision-Making frameworks for digital transformation and safety strategy selection

She leads two active projects:

• "Evidential Reasoning for Detecting GPS Manipulation in Vessels" (2024-2024)
• "Nitrogen Gas Usage in Ship Operations: Safe Practices and Risk Analysis" (2024-2025)

Her work bridges theoretical models (e.g., fuzzy AHP, TOPSIS) with practical applications in maritime recruitment systems, LNG bunkering safety, and autonomous vessel error prediction. Over 18 peer-reviewed publications since 2022 demonstrate her contributions to improving operational safety and regulatory compliance in global shipping.