DrRanul Thantilage

Dr. Ranul Thantilage is an assistant professor in computer science specialising in digital forensics at UCD School of Computer Science, working on the MSc in Forensic Computing and Cybercrime Investigation, and a researcher in cybersecurity and digital forensics, affiliated with the UCD Centre for Cybersecurity & Cybercrime Investigation (CCI). He has more than eight years of experience in law enforcement, academia, and international project collaboration.

Dr. Thantilage previously led the implementation of Sri Lanka’s Automated Facial Recognition System at Sri Lanka Police and contributed to multiple EU-funded projects, including ECTEG course development. His research focuses on experimental, real-world-driven challenges in areas such as social media forensics, drone forensics, secure healthcare data systems, and forensic readiness.

He holds a PhD in Computer Science from University College Dublin and has developed forensic methodologies tailored to operational needs. His work bridges practical law enforcement application and academic research, with recent publications on forensic methodologies for emerging technologies.

Dr. Thantilage contributes actively to curriculum development especially in courses such as UAV Forensics. He continues to collaborate internationally with law enforcement agencies, academic institutions, and EU based projects to advance the field of digital investigations and secure computing.