KAUST Associate Professor Taous-Meriem Laleg-Kirati leads the Estimation, Modeling and ANalysis (EMAN) research group, focusing on control theory, system modeling, and signal applications. Her group develops mathematical models and algorithms to control processes relying on real-time feedback, especially for systems where experimental data is limited. The EMAN group recently developed a real-time control algorithm for a solar membrane distillation system, increasing water production by over 50% in simulations. Why it matters: Laleg-Kirati's work advances both engineering and healthcare by combining model-based research with AI, offering opportunities for personalized medicine and efficient resource management in the region.
KAUST Associate Professor Taous-Meriem Laleg-Kirati was a finalist in the academic of distinction category at the Leadership Excellence for Women Awards & Symposium (LEWAS) in Bahrain in 2018. She was nominated by former KAUST researchers for her achievements in science and engineering and her advocacy for women in science. Laleg-Kirati's research at KAUST focuses on control engineering and signal processing with applications in solar energy, water desalination, and biomedicine. Why it matters: The recognition highlights the importance of female leadership and contributions in STEM fields within the GCC region.
DERC's Aysha Al Neyadi won the Young Scientists Competition at the 14th International Conference Interaction of Radiation with Solids in Minsk, Belarus. Aysha co-authored a paper with researchers from Belarus State University and TII on the structure and phase composition stability of amorphous zirconium irradiated with helium ions. The paper examined amorphous alloy samples based on zirconium irradiated with Helium ions at 40 keV. Why it matters: This award recognizes contributions to materials science and highlights international research collaborations involving UAE institutions.
Two KAUST researchers, Leena Ibrahim and Taiba Alamoudi, were named L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Middle East Young Talents. Leena Ibrahim, an Assistant Professor in Bioscience, leads the Neural Circuits Lab and researches how sensory experiences shape the brain's ability to process information. Taiba Alamoudi is a Ph.D. candidate in Marine Science. Why it matters: This recognition highlights the growing contributions of women in STEM fields in the Middle East and KAUST's role in supporting female researchers.
Professor Mérouane Debbah, Chief Researcher at AIDRC, and his co-authors received the 2022 IEEE TAOS TC Best GCSN Paper Award for their work on federated quantized neural networks. The paper, presented at IEEE ICC 2022, explores the tradeoff between energy, precision, and accuracy in these networks. The research proposes an optimal quantization level to minimize energy consumption during training, making it less prohibitive for mobile devices. Why it matters: The award recognizes work that reduces the carbon footprint of large-scale AI systems, a key challenge for sustainable AI deployment in the region and globally.
The Technology Innovation Institute (TII) congratulated Prof. Merouane Debbah, Chief Researcher of AI & Telecoms Systems, for being included in Clarivate’s 2021 Highly Cited Researchers List. This list recognizes Prof. Debbah as being in the top 1% of researchers worldwide. TII expressed pride in this global recognition of Prof. Debbah's work. Why it matters: This highlights the UAE's growing prominence in attracting and supporting top AI researchers, enhancing its reputation as an innovation hub.
MBZUAI researcher Karima Kadaoui is using AI to assist disadvantaged communities and languages, with a focus on democratizing NLP tasks for Arabic dialects. Her master's thesis focused on impaired speech recognition, converting disfluencies of individuals with speech disabilities into clear speech. She emphasizes the importance of diversity and inclusion in AI to avoid bias and ensure systems reflect the user distribution. Why it matters: This highlights MBZUAI's commitment to gender equity in STEM and the development of AI solutions tailored to the nuances of the Arabic language.
Giulia De Masi, Principal Scientist at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in Abu Dhabi, specializes in Collective Intelligence and Swarm Robotics. Her work focuses on designing emergent behaviors in robot swarms through local interactions, drawing inspiration from social insects. De Masi's background includes positions at academic institutions in the UAE and a PhD from the University of Rome La Sapienza. Why it matters: This highlights the growing focus on swarm robotics and collective intelligence research within the UAE, with potential applications in various industries.