role: Students
Salma Mekaoui
PhD Researcher
Salma Mekaoui received her Master’s degree in Intelligent Systems and Networks from the Faculty of Sciences and Technology (FST) in Fes, Morocco. Prior to beginning her Ph.D., she worked as a Java developer, gaining valuable industry experience in software development. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of Limerick (UL), Ireland, as part of the SFI-funded Centre for Research Training in Artificial Intelligence (CRT in AI). Her research focuses on natural language processing, specifically topic labeling, and she integrates advanced methodologies to tackle its challenges.
Supervisors: Dr. Nikola Nikolov
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Malaika Mushtaq
PhD Researcher
Malaika Mushtaq is a PhD student in Computer Science at the University of Galway, co-supervised by Dr. Ihsan Ullah and Prof. Michael Madden. Her research focuses on designing explainable lightweight neural networks, blending efficiency and interpretability to bridge the gap between AI model performance, explainability, and real-world deployment. At the Visual Intelligence Lab, she explores the intersection of computer vision, neural network compression, and explainable AI, aiming to develop more interpretable and efficient deep learning models.
She has worked on biomedical robotics, leveraging deep learning to analyze therapy robot usage and improve rehabilitation software. As part of a research team, she contributed to home rehabilitation studies using the H-Man robotic system, conducted in collaboration with Tan Tock Seng Hospital and the Singapore-ETH Centre. During her time at BIOMISA Lab, she worked on automated vertebrae localization and segmentation for spine analysis, gaining experience in medical image processing and computer vision techniques.
Supervisors: Dr. Ihsan Ullah and Professor Michael Madden
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Soukaina Rhazzafe
PhD Researcher
Soukaina Rhazzafe is a PhD researcher at the University of Limerick, funded by Research Ireland Centre for Research Training in Artificial Intelligence. Her research focuses on optimizing Neural Network architectures for greater efficiency and performance, with a particular emphasis on techniques such as quantization and Binary Neural Networks (BNNs).
Soukaina holds a Master’s degree in Data Science and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering. She has contributed to interdisciplinary AI research, including published studies on medical text summarization and ICU Length of Stay prediction. Her work bridges theoretical and applied AI, exploring methods to enhance computational efficiency while maintaining model interpretability and robustness. Beyond optimization techniques, she is interested in the broader implications of AI bias, particularly its impact on knowledge generation and the shaping of future information landscapes. Through her research, she aims to develop scalable and energy-efficient AI solutions with practical real-world applications.
Supervisor: Dr. Simon Colreavy
Ayman Abaid
Ayman Abaid is a PhD candidate in Computer Science at the University of Galway, working under the supervision of Dr. Ihsan Ullah. Her research focuses on advancing deep learning techniques for cardiovascular medical imaging, with the goal of improving diagnostic accuracy and optimizing clinical workflows. Her specific research interests include 2D/3D segmentation, generative networks, and representation learning in medical imaging.
Ayman earned a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and a Bachelor’s degree from the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (FAST-NUCES). During her time as a research assistant at the Energy Informatics Lab at LUMS, she contributed to research on national load forecasting and energy consumption prediction, addressing key challenges in the energy sector.
Supervisor: Dr. Ihsan Ullah
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Dhiraj Kumar Singh
Dhiraj Singh is a Ph.D. student affiliated with the Biocomputing and Developmental System Group (BDS) within the Computer Science and Information Systems (CSIS) department at the University of Limerick. Under the supervision of Professor Conor Ryan, his research focuses on Interpretable AI and is supported by funding from Research Ireland Centre for research and training in AI. Dhiraj holds a master’s degree in informatics and communication from the University of Delhi.
Prior to starting his PhD, Dhiraj worked as a Senior Data scientist in healthcare R&D. He has also collaborated with research teams from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, and the University of Houston on research within the technology forecasting domain. Additionally, he has played important roles in organizing ML conferences such as ICARTi 2021 and chaired the IEEE 25th International Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work in Design (IEEE CSCWD 2022).
Currently, Dhiraj is focused on developing methodologies to interpret intricate and deep-learning AI models that are characterized by millions of parameters. The aim is to bolster their adoption in high-risk AI applications, especially within domains like healthcare.
Supervisor: Professor Conor Ryan,
Nakul Mehta
Nakul Mehta is a Research Ireland funded PhD Researcher with the Centre’s for Research Training in Artificial Intelligence. He has completed Bachelors in Information Technology from DR BR Ambedkar National Institute of Technology Jalandhar (NITJ).
Nakul, has experience as a Data Scientist at Aramex and also completed a research internship at University of Galway, Ireland in the past.
Supervisor: Professor Edward Curry
Josh McGiff
Josh McGiff is a second-year PhD student at the University of Limerick, specialising in Natural Language Processing and large language modeling. As a passionate Gaeilgeoir, Josh’s PhD research focuses on developing generative language models for the Irish language, aiming to bridge linguistic gaps in the digital age. Josh holds a degree in Computer Systems from the University of Limerick, where his undergraduate thesis explored building models to detect homophobic content on social media. Beyond his research, Josh lectures in the Immersive Software Engineering program and runs a business creating innovative software solutions for broadcasters. Aside from academia, Josh also has a strong interest in game development.
In the first year of this programme, Josh was named as one of the Sunday’s Business Post 30 under 30 in 2024.
Supervisor: Dr. Nikola Nikolov
Julien Santos de Mello
Julien is a first-year PhD student at the University of Limerick, where she is supervised by Prof. Tiziana Margaria and Dr. Catherine Porter. Her research proposes to unravel the presence of Irish women practising traditional medicine through historical and geographical perspectives. By using Artificial Intelligence to interoperate these different datasets, Julien’s research aims to provide a deeper and innovative analysis.
Julien graduated in History at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. During her undergraduate studies, she became interested in the topic of women in the folk medicine field and the issue of witch hunts. As a result, she developed an undergraduate thesis on women prosecuted for witchcraft in Scotland based on an extensive criminal records database. In recent years, Julien has also investigated anti-Judaism, medicine, and gender through a French criminal source in the Middle Ages, focussing on Jewish women’s representations and medical practices. Through her work and with the fundamental support of the digital humanities, she seeks to raise awareness of women’s roles in different periods and societies.
In her free time, Julien enjoys exploring museums, playing videogames, and trying out new types of coffee (as a good Brazilian).
Supervisor: Professor Tiziana Margaria & Dr. Catherine Porter
OTHER TEAM MEMBERS
Juan Camilo Rosero Lopez
PhD Researcher
Juan Camilo Rosero Lopez is a first-year PhD student in the SFI Centre for Research Training in Artificial Intelligence in Trinity College Dublin, where he is supervised by Dr. Ivana Dusparic. His research interest is in Multi-objective Reinforcement Learning, focusing on implementations of true multi-objective methods and applications of RL. Juan holds a BSc. in Computer Science with Honors, where he developed a novel multi-objective approach for declarative process models. Before joining the CRT-AI funded PhD programme, he worked as a freelance software developer. In his spare time Juan enjoys Reading, playing video games, and cooking.
Supervisor: Dr. Ivana Dusparic
OTHER TEAM MEMBERS
Talhat Khan
PhD Researcher
Talhat Khan is an AI researcher, currently pursuing a Ph.D. in the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) CRT in AI program within the Computer Science and Information Systems Department at the University of Limerick, under the supervision of Professor Conor Ryan.
With a master’s in Computer Systems Engineering, his focus lies in demystifying black box neural network models. The topic of research in master’s degree was “An Explainable Regression Framework for Predicting Remaining Useful Life of Machines”.
Passionate about making AI transparent and ethical, Talhat explores innovative AI solutions while ensuring accountability. Committed to advancing the field responsibly, he aspires to leverage AI for societal good, balancing innovation with ethical considerations.
Currently, he is working on creating personalized large language models and mitigation of hallucinations from large language models. Before joining the Ph.D. program, Talhat also worked in programming and Data Analyst roles. His job description involved developing software for the organization and deriving valuable insights from data to enhance policies.
Supervisor: Professor Conor Ryan
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Lai Hoang Le
PhD Researcher
Le has been a PhD student in the School of Computing at Dublin City University (DCU) since January 2024. He is a part of the fifth cohort funded by the Science Foundation Ireland’s Centre for Research Training in Artificial Intelligence. Supervised by Prof. Martin Crane, Dr. Mai Tan Tai (DCU), and Dr. Harry Nguyen (UCC), he specialises in Deep learning. He aims to work on applying multimodal learning analytics in medical training to discover efficient and effective study methods and deliver prompt and useful feedback for medical surgery students.
Le holds a Degree in Engineering in Information technology from the National University of Civil Engineering – Vietnam with first-class honours, being the valedictorian of his university.
Before starting his PhD, he had worked for 5 years in some market-leading companies in Vietnam as a software engineer specialising in cloud computing, data and system architecture, DevOps and CI-CD flow. He had experience in dealings with multiple data-driven systems: human activities tracking, smart houses, autopilot validation and core banking, ensuring both high quality and high availability. Apart from research, he likes to jog, play chess, listen to music, play harmonica and explore nature.
Supervisors: Professor Martin Crane, Dr. Mai Tan Tai, Dr. Harry Nguyen.
OTHER TEAM MEMBERS
Dr Kinza Salim MBBS
PhD Researcher
Dr. Kinza Salim is a First Year PhD at the SFI CRT in Artificial intelligence. She achieved her MBBS degree from People’s University of Medical and Health Sciences, Pakistan. She is a gold medalist in the subject of Biochemistry and has recently completed her Postgraduate Clinical training in Otorhinolaryngology from Capital Hospital, Islamabad. She is an enthusiastic medical practitioner and a BLS provider.
Her keen interest in the field of research has led to publication of article named Investigation of low back pain and intervertebral disc using fatigue loading a review in 2022 and she is also recently working on thesis titled effect of cochlear implantation on vestibular function.
Dr Kinza was a subeditor in Med Hoc magazine during her undergraduate studies. She has experience of teaching medical students and has worked as a Demonstrator in the Anatomy department. She also participated at charity ‘love your eyes’, World Sight Day symposium. Prior to joining CRT-AI, she was working as an occupational medical officer in Islamabad. Dr Kinza has experience of teaching medical students and worked as a Demonstrator in the Anatomy department.
Her supervisor is Dr.Harry Nguyen and she will be working closely with the National Learning Analytics Unit spearheaded by Professor George Shorten.
In her spare time, she reads books, likes to play badminton, scrabble, loves to write short poems, blogs and watches documentaries.
Supervisor is Dr. Harry Nguyen & Dr. Rosane Minghim
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