Zhiyuan Thomas Tan

Dr Zhiyuan (Thomas) Tan is an Associate Professor at Edinburgh Napier University’s School of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment. He is internationally recognised for his cybersecurity research and has been listed among Stanford University’s Top 2% Scientists for 2021–2023.

Education

• BEng (2005) with high distinction – North-eastern University, China
• MEng (2008) – Beijing University of Technology, China
• PhD in Computer Systems (2014) – University of Technology Sydney, Australia

Research Interests

Dr Tan’s research integrates cybersecurity with machine learning and data analytics. His core areas include:

• Intrusion detection and defence of critical service systems
• Adversarial machine learning for malware and anomaly detection
• Virtualisation security through non-parametric behaviour modelling
• IoT and vehicular network security—cloud/edge/cloudlet frameworks
• Privacy-preserving AI and federated machine unlearning
• Smart-city digital forensics and cyber-physical system resilience

Research Output Trends

His recent articles (2020–2025) reveal a strong focus on federated learning, edge & mobile computing, UAV coordination, and AI-driven security. Topics span advanced steganography, metamorphic malware, graph injection attacks, and trustworthiness in vehicular platoons, all anchored in real-world IoT and transportation applications.

Awards & Distinctions

• Stanford University Top 2% Scientists List (2021, 2022, 2023)
• National Research Award 2017 – Research Council of the Sultanate of Oman
• Best Paper Awards (three instances)
• Kaspersky Lab Student Cyber Security Conference – Finalist Award
• SICSA Supervisor of the Year 2019 – Honourable Mention

Grants & Leadership

Dr Tan has attracted over £200k in external funding including:

• Carnegie Trust (£73,564) – Federated Machine Unlearning
• ENU Development Trust (£29,998) – Machine Unlearning
• Royal Society (£12,000) – VANET Security & Privacy
• SICSA & other awards for MemoryCrypt, AI Secrets, behaviour biometrics, and visiting-fellow schemes.

Supervision & Mentoring

Since 2013 he has supervised or co-supervised 16 doctoral candidates and several master’s students; six PhDs have successfully graduated. Roles range from Director of Studies to additional supervisor across diverse topics from malware evolution to VR olfactory interfaces.

Research Groups & Collaboration

He is affiliated with the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, the Centre for Distributed Computing, Networking and Security, and the Centre for Cybersecurity, IoT and Cyber-physical Systems at ENU, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration with national and international partners.