معرفی
Francesc Alías Pujol is a Professor at the Department of Engineering, Ramon Llull University (La Salle Campus Barcelona), where he also serves as Director of Teaching and Research Staff Policies since September 2019 and coordinates the PhD Program in Information Technologies since February 2022. He is a researcher in the Human-Environment Research (HER) group, focusing on speech and acoustic signal processing for natural human-machine interaction.
His educational background includes:
- BSc in Telecommunications Engineering (1997)
- MSc in Electronics Engineering (1999)
- PhD in ICT and their application in Management (2006)
- MBA in Business Administration (2013)
- University Expert Program in Digital Transformation (2023)
Dr. Alías's research primarily focuses on signal processing, with special emphasis on speech and acoustic signal processing to achieve natural interaction between humans, machines, and their environment. His work spans from Text-to-Speech (TTS) synthesis to vocal biomarkers for digital health applications, numerical voice simulation, and environmental acoustics. He has developed expertise in expressive speech analysis and synthesis, sound source identification, and smart city applications through wireless acoustic sensor networks.
His publication record shows a consistent trajectory in speech and acoustic processing, with recent work focusing on the impact of global events like the COVID-19 pandemic on urban soundscapes, advanced techniques for glottal source analysis, and the development of algorithms for anomalous noise event detection in smart city applications. His research bridges theoretical signal processing with practical applications in environmental monitoring and human-computer interaction.
Dr. Alías has received numerous scientific awards including:
- 3rd six-year research merit (2018-2023) from AQU Catalunya
- Most cited paper in Noise Mapping (2021) for his work on COVID-19's impact on urban noise
- 2nd six-year research merit (2012-2017) from AQU Catalunya
- Best academic record award for his MBA (2013)
- Multiple best paper awards from the Spanish Thematic Network on Speech Technology
He has led and participated in numerous research projects including DISTRESIA (stress biomarker identification), FEMVoQ (3D voice simulation), SUARAMAP (acoustic monitoring for dementia detection), GENIOVOX (expressive voice generation), and DYNAMAP (dynamic noise mapping). His work has been supported by various funding bodies including the European Commission, Spanish Ministry of Science, and Catalan Government.
As coordinator of the PhD Program in Information Technologies and former Director of the Department of Engineering (2014-2021), Dr. Alías plays a significant role in academic leadership at La Salle-URL. His research group focuses on the intersection of speech processing, environmental acoustics, and smart city applications, contributing to both theoretical advancements and practical implementations in these fields.
