PhD Research Projects

The Department's vigorous research activity allows us to be able to continually offer a wide range of exciting PhD projects. We structure our research within three research groups, led by senior academics and supported by post-doctoral researchers. Our list of PhD projects are listed under their related research group below. Please click on project titles for further information.

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Autonomous Systems and Robotics Group	Robotics, Biomechatronics and Control (Supervisor: Dr Anderson) Robotic Implants to Control Body Functions (Supervisor: Dr Damian) Active Wearables for Efficient Living (Supervisor:Dr Damian) Autonomous Systems for Inspection and Condition Monitoring (Supervisor: Professor Dodd) Advanced Manufacturing (Supervisor: Professor Dodd) Future Air Transport (Supervisor: Professor Dodd) Modular reconfigurable robotic systems (Supervisor: Dr Gross) Evolutionary robotics and artificial life (Supervisor: Dr Gross) Advances in swarm robotics and multi-robot systems (Supervisor: Dr Gross) Novel swarm systems (Supervisor: Dr Gross) Tracking and Modelling of Cell Dynamics with Application to Swarm Robots (Supervisor: Professor Kadirkamanathan) Sequential Monte Carlo Methods for Bayesian Inference in Complex Systems (Supervisor: Professor Mihaylova) Multiple Object Tracking and Decision Making (Supervisor: Professor Mihaylova) Wireless Sensor Networks for Localisation in Indoor and Outdoor Environments (Supervisor: Professor Mihaylova) Automatic Object and Behaviour Recognition in Video/ Image Sequences (Supervisor: Professor Mihaylova) Vehicular Traffic Flow Modelling, Prediction and Control (Supervisor: Professor Mihaylova) Multi-Sensor Data Fusion and Smart Decision Making (Supervisor: Professor Mihaylova) Reliable Response and Behaviour of Autonomous Robots (Supervisor: Professor Veres) Cooperative Behaviour of Autonomous Unmanned Vehicles (Supervisor: Professor Veres) Portable Agent Software Architecture for Robot Control (Supervisor: Professor Veres) Vision-based Swarming in Multi-Robot Systems (Supervisor: Dr Zhao) Co-operative Control of Multi-Robot Systems using Machine Learning (Supervisor: Dr Zhao)
Complex Systems and Signal Processing	Advanced brain-computer interface (Supervisor: Dr Arvaneh) Adaptive Learning in brain-robot interactions (Supervisor: Dr Arvaneh) Multimodal Control of Prosthetic Limbs/Paralysed Muscles (Supervisor: Dr Arvaneh & Professor Mihaylova) Using Brain Computer Interface to Improve Cognitive Performance (Supervisor: Dr Arvaneh) Brain Decoding Models across Subjects (Supervisor: Dr Arvaneh, Dr H Wei) Dynamical Processes in the Geo-space Plasma (Supervisor: Prof Balikhin) Space Weather Forecast (Supervisor: Prof Balikhin) FPGA acceleration of computationally-intensive algorithms (Supervisor: Professor Coca) Modelling and analysis of the dynamics of global gene expression for diagnosis, prognosis, molecular classification of diseases and new drug development (Supervisor: Professor Coca) Real-time Fluorescence Molecular Tomography (Supervisor: Professor Coca) Analysis and Modelling of Stem Cell Dynamics (Supervisor: Professor Coca) Boundary stabilization of fluid flows (Supervisor: Professor Coca) Control theoretical approaches to modelling, analysis and design of gene regulatory networks (Supervisor: Professor Coca) Nonlinear System Identification and Biophysical Modelling of Neural Activity based on Electrophysiological Data (Supervisor: Professor Coca) Tracking, modelling, simulation and control of evolving interfaces (Supervisor: Professor Coca) Cybersecurity in Electricity Grids (Supervisor: Dr Esnaola) An Information Theoretic Approach to the Smart Grid (Supervisor: Dr Esnaola) Nonlinear complex systems with application in biomedical systems (Supervisor: Dr Guo) Frequency analysis of nonlinear infinite-dimensional systems - theory and applications (Supervisor: Dr Guo) Computationally efficient modelling & simulation and applications (Supervisor: Dr Guo) Modelling and Control of Turbulent Flows (Supervisors: Dr Jones) Road vehicle drag reduction via feedback flow control (Supervisor: Dr Jones) Co-Design of highly manoeuvrable miniature airships (Supervisor: Dr Jones) Modelling and Identification of Spatiotemporal Systems (Supervisor: Professor Kadirkamanathan) Nonlinear control of grid-tied inverters for stabilising future smart grids (Supervisor: Dr G Konstantopoulos) Frequency analysis and design of nonlinear systems: theories, methods and their applications (Supervisor: Professor Lang) Exploiting and Unlocking Hidden Values in Energy Big Data through Systems Engineering and Machine Learning Approaches (Supervisor: Dr Wei) Big Data and Machine Learning for Environmental Systems (Supervisor: Dr Wei) Mind Controlled Robots and Machines (Supervisor: Dr Wei) Causality Analysis and Feature Extraction of Neurophysiolocal Signals (Supervisor: Dr Wei) Data Modelling, Data Mining and Data Analytics: Methods, Algorithms and Applications (Supervisor: Dr Wei)
Intelligent Systems, Decision and Control	Opinion Dynamics, and Diffusion of Innovation in Social Networks (Supervisor: Dr Bauso) Collective Decision Making for Energy Efficiency and Intelligent Mobility (Supervisor: Dr Bauso) Random vibration in ground vehicles (Supervisor: Professor Harrison) Data modelling and machine learning (Supervisor: Professor Harrison) Enhancing virtual screening in the search for new pharmaceuticals (Supervisor: Professor Harrison) Optimal control of disease dynamics (Supervisor: Professor Harrison) Modelling hormonal rhythms for biomedical control (Supervisor: Professor Harrison) Monitoring and Control of Cyber Physical Systems (Supervisor: Professor Kadirkamanathan) Multiscale Modelling of Natural, Living and Engineering Systems (Supervisor: Professor Kadirkamanathan) Intelligent Health Monitoring and Distributed Decision Support (Supervisor: Professor Kadirkamanathan) Intelligent Systems Modelling and Decision Support in Biomedicine (Supervisor: Professor Mahfouf) Advanced Systems-Modelling and Optimisation in Materials Science and Engineering (Supervisor: Professor Mahfouf) Health Monitoring for Rolls-Royce Power Systems (Supervisor: Dr Mills) Computing With Words – Modelling and Optimisation of Industrial Processes (Supervisor: Dr Panoutsos) Perpetual Modelling and Decision Making for Biomedical Systems (Supervisor: Dr Panoutsos) Elastic and Acoustic Metamaterials (Supervisor: Dr Pope) Analysis and control of complex vibrating systems (Supervisor: Dr Pope) Design and development of smart acoustic devices: Invisibility Cloaks and Super Lenses (Supervisor: Dr Pope) Integrated Sensing, Monitoring and Healing for Complex Autonomous Systems (Supervisors: Dr Pope and Professor Kadirkamanathan) Space Systems (Supervisor: Dr Pope) Analysis and design of nonlinear functional systems (Supervisor: Dr Pope) Complex systems modelling for understanding and prediction of public health related behaviours (Supervisor: Dr Purshouse) Robust Design Optimisation (Supervisor: Dr Purshouse) State-space modelling of trajectories in childhood development (Supervisor: Dr Purshouse) Evolutionary multi-objective optimization and multiple criteria decision-making (Supervisor: Dr Purshouse) Predictive control of non-linear and/or robust systems (Supervisor: Dr Rossiter) Computational efficiency in predictive control (Supervisor: Dr Rossiter) Application of predictive control to fast systems (Supervisor: Dr Rossiter) Multi-rate and/or non square systems and/or decentralised control (Supervisor: Dr Rossiter) Distributed, robust and adaptive model predictive control (MPC) (Supervisor: Dr Trodden) Predictive and optimization-based control of smart grids: theory and algorithms (Supervisor: Dr Trodden) Constrained control and set invariance (Supervisor: Dr Trodden)

*Please note that you are welcome to discuss alternative research topics with project supervisors.

PhD Supervisors

Learn more about the academics you will be working with, select the group and follow the link to view their full academic profiles.

Autonomous Systems and Robotics Group	Dr Anderson Dr Damian Professor Dodd Dr Gross Professor Kadirkamanathan Professor Mihaylova Professor Veres Dr Zhao
Complex Systems and Signal Processing	Dr Arvaneh Dr Wei Professor Balikhin Professor Coca Dr Esnaola Dr Guo Dr Jones Professor Kadirkamanathan Dr Konstantopoulos Professor Lang
Intelligent Systems, Decision and Control	Dr Bauso Professor Harrison Professor Kadirkamanathan Professor Mahfouf Dr Mills Dr Panoutsos Dr Pope Dr Purshouse Dr Rossiter Dr Trodden

PhD Research Projects

Autonomous Systems and Robotics Group

Robotics, Biomechatronics and Control (Supervisor: Dr Anderson)

Robotic Implants to Control Body Functions (Supervisor: Dr Damian)

Active Wearables for Efficient Living (Supervisor:Dr Damian)

Autonomous Systems for Inspection and Condition Monitoring (Supervisor: Professor Dodd)

Advanced Manufacturing (Supervisor: Professor Dodd)

Future Air Transport (Supervisor: Professor Dodd)

Modular reconfigurable robotic systems (Supervisor: Dr Gross)

Evolutionary robotics and artificial life (Supervisor: Dr Gross)

Advances in swarm robotics and multi-robot systems (Supervisor: Dr Gross)

Novel swarm systems (Supervisor: Dr Gross)

Tracking and Modelling of Cell Dynamics with Application to Swarm Robots (Supervisor: Professor Kadirkamanathan)

Sequential Monte Carlo Methods for Bayesian Inference in Complex Systems (Supervisor: Professor Mihaylova)

Multiple Object Tracking and Decision Making (Supervisor: Professor Mihaylova)

Wireless Sensor Networks for Localisation in Indoor and Outdoor Environments (Supervisor: Professor Mihaylova)

Automatic Object and Behaviour Recognition in Video/ Image Sequences (Supervisor: Professor Mihaylova)

Vehicular Traffic Flow Modelling, Prediction and Control (Supervisor: Professor Mihaylova)

Multi-Sensor Data Fusion and Smart Decision Making (Supervisor: Professor Mihaylova)

Reliable Response and Behaviour of Autonomous Robots (Supervisor: Professor Veres)

Cooperative Behaviour of Autonomous Unmanned Vehicles (Supervisor: Professor Veres)

Portable Agent Software Architecture for Robot Control (Supervisor: Professor Veres)

Vision-based Swarming in Multi-Robot Systems (Supervisor: Dr Zhao)

Co-operative Control of Multi-Robot Systems using Machine Learning (Supervisor: Dr Zhao)

Complex Systems and Signal Processing

Advanced brain-computer interface (Supervisor: Dr Arvaneh)

Adaptive Learning in brain-robot interactions (Supervisor: Dr Arvaneh)

Multimodal Control of Prosthetic Limbs/Paralysed Muscles (Supervisor: Dr Arvaneh & Professor Mihaylova)

Using Brain Computer Interface to Improve Cognitive Performance (Supervisor: Dr Arvaneh)

Brain Decoding Models across Subjects (Supervisor: Dr Arvaneh, Dr H Wei)

Dynamical Processes in the Geo-space Plasma (Supervisor: Prof Balikhin)

Space Weather Forecast (Supervisor: Prof Balikhin)

FPGA acceleration of computationally-intensive algorithms (Supervisor: Professor Coca)

Modelling and analysis of the dynamics of global gene expression for diagnosis, prognosis, molecular classification of diseases and new drug development (Supervisor: Professor Coca)

Real-time Fluorescence Molecular Tomography (Supervisor: Professor Coca)

Analysis and Modelling of Stem Cell Dynamics (Supervisor: Professor Coca)

Boundary stabilization of fluid flows (Supervisor: Professor Coca)

Control theoretical approaches to modelling, analysis and design of gene regulatory networks (Supervisor: Professor Coca)

Nonlinear System Identification and Biophysical Modelling of Neural Activity based on Electrophysiological Data (Supervisor: Professor Coca)

Tracking, modelling, simulation and control of evolving interfaces (Supervisor: Professor Coca)

Cybersecurity in Electricity Grids (Supervisor: Dr Esnaola)

An Information Theoretic Approach to the Smart Grid (Supervisor: Dr Esnaola)

Nonlinear complex systems with application in biomedical systems (Supervisor: Dr Guo)

Frequency analysis of nonlinear infinite-dimensional systems - theory and applications (Supervisor: Dr Guo)

Computationally efficient modelling & simulation and applications (Supervisor: Dr Guo)

Modelling and Control of Turbulent Flows (Supervisors: Dr Jones)

Road vehicle drag reduction via feedback flow control (Supervisor: Dr Jones)

Co-Design of highly manoeuvrable miniature airships (Supervisor: Dr Jones)

Modelling and Identification of Spatiotemporal Systems (Supervisor: Professor Kadirkamanathan)

Nonlinear control of grid-tied inverters for stabilising future smart grids (Supervisor: Dr G Konstantopoulos)

Frequency analysis and design of nonlinear systems: theories, methods and their applications (Supervisor: Professor Lang)

Exploiting and Unlocking Hidden Values in Energy Big Data through Systems Engineering and Machine Learning Approaches (Supervisor: Dr Wei)

Big Data and Machine Learning for Environmental Systems (Supervisor: Dr Wei)

Mind Controlled Robots and Machines (Supervisor: Dr Wei)

Causality Analysis and Feature Extraction of Neurophysiolocal Signals (Supervisor: Dr Wei)

Data Modelling, Data Mining and Data Analytics: Methods, Algorithms and Applications (Supervisor: Dr Wei)

Intelligent Systems, Decision and Control

Opinion Dynamics, and Diffusion of Innovation in Social Networks (Supervisor: Dr Bauso)

Collective Decision Making for Energy Efficiency and Intelligent Mobility (Supervisor: Dr Bauso)

Random vibration in ground vehicles (Supervisor: Professor Harrison)

Data modelling and machine learning (Supervisor: Professor Harrison)

Enhancing virtual screening in the search for new pharmaceuticals (Supervisor: Professor Harrison)

Optimal control of disease dynamics (Supervisor: Professor Harrison)

Modelling hormonal rhythms for biomedical control (Supervisor: Professor Harrison)

Monitoring and Control of Cyber Physical Systems (Supervisor: Professor Kadirkamanathan)

Multiscale Modelling of Natural, Living and Engineering Systems (Supervisor: Professor Kadirkamanathan)

Intelligent Health Monitoring and Distributed Decision Support (Supervisor: Professor Kadirkamanathan)

Intelligent Systems Modelling and Decision Support in Biomedicine (Supervisor: Professor Mahfouf)

Advanced Systems-Modelling and Optimisation in Materials Science and Engineering (Supervisor: Professor Mahfouf)

Health Monitoring for Rolls-Royce Power Systems (Supervisor: Dr Mills)

Computing With Words – Modelling and Optimisation of Industrial Processes (Supervisor: Dr Panoutsos)

Perpetual Modelling and Decision Making for Biomedical Systems (Supervisor: Dr Panoutsos)

Elastic and Acoustic Metamaterials (Supervisor: Dr Pope)

Analysis and control of complex vibrating systems (Supervisor: Dr Pope)

Design and development of smart acoustic devices: Invisibility Cloaks and Super Lenses (Supervisor: Dr Pope)

Integrated Sensing, Monitoring and Healing for Complex Autonomous Systems (Supervisors: Dr Pope and Professor Kadirkamanathan)

Space Systems (Supervisor: Dr Pope)

Analysis and design of nonlinear functional systems (Supervisor: Dr Pope)

Complex systems modelling for understanding and prediction of public health related behaviours (Supervisor: Dr Purshouse)

Robust Design Optimisation (Supervisor: Dr Purshouse)

Vision-based Swarming in Multi-Robot Systems
(Supervisor: Dr Zhao)

Co-operative Control of Multi-Robot Systems using Machine Learning
(Supervisor: Dr Zhao)