EXPERTS SEARCH

Dr Timilehin Aderinola is a machine learning and computer vision researcher focused on transforming how human movement is understood and analysed in clinical settings. His work has direct real-world impact: from predicting and preventing falls in patients with rare neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease and ataxia, to developing foundation models for human movement with broad clinical applications.

Dr Aderinola holds a B.Eng. (Hons.) in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and an MSc in Computer Science from the Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria, and a PhD in Information Technology from Multimedia University, Malaysia (2022), where he specialised in machine learning and computer vision. Since joining the Insight Centre for Data Analytics at University College Dublin as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in 2022, he has built a strong fellowship track record: as a NeuroInsight Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow (2023–2025) and, most recently, as a Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellow, one of Ireland's most competitive early-career research awards, developing foundation models for human movement in clinical practice.

In 2019, Aoife was appointed to the role of College Principal for the College of Engineering and Architecture, and the Dean of Engineering. She is the first woman to hold these roles in UCD. In 2025, she was awarded the President's Award from Engineers Ireland for her outstanding contribution to the Engineering Profession. 

As College Principal, Aoife has successfully led the biggest and most diverse engineering and architecture department in Ireland, growing and diversifying student numbers in both disciplines, overseeing the continued collaboration with CDIC, leading to the launch of 2 additional joint programmes (one in mechanical engineering and one in urban planning) and she has led the College to significantly increased levels of research funding, in particular European research funding. Within the College of Engineering and Architecture she has embedded sustainability at the core of the College’s teaching and research. In her own research, she has engaged and led European and national projects in the area of sustainable transport policy, active travel promotion and the role of transport infrastructure in promoting social inclusion. She has also conducted research, funded by the European Commission, to look at the role of critical thinking in the university curriculum, and is currently working on research looking at the impact of gender on careers in the engineering profession. 

In 2024, Aoife was appointed to the role of Vice President of UCD, for Equality Diversity and Inclusion. She leads the University in ensuring that the principles of EDI are embedded in all aspects of UCD’s strategy, policy, processes, systems and functions, and that the governance and support structures of the University continue to create an environment for students and employees where diversity is celebrated. Aoife also chaired the University’s Dignity and Respect Oversight Committee from 2021-2024. As chair of this group, she has led the implementation of UCD’s Bullying and Harassment Policy, the Sexual Misconduct policy for students and employees, and has worked with the EDI unit to produce the annual Dignity and Respect report. The UCD Dignity and Respect Service, launched in 2022, reports to the Dignity and Respect oversight group, and conducts the data monitoring of the service.


Professor Aoife Ahern graduated first in her class with a first class honours degree in civil engineering from Trinity College Dublin in 1998. She was also awarded a Gold Medal from TCD in 1998, for her performance in the final year examinations. From TCD, she went on to study in University College London (UCL) in the Centre for Transport Studies (CTS) in the Department of Civil Engineering from 1998-2001. She won the British Chevening Scholarship in both 1998 and 1999 (one award is made each year by the British Council in Ireland to fund Irish people studying in the UK). She was also in receipt of the UCL Graduate Scholarship Award for the full term of her PhD. She completed her PhD in 2.5 years and was the recipient of the Smeed prize for her research in transportation and new public transport modes in 2001.

In April 2000, she took up a position as a full-time permanent College Lecturer in the School of Civil Engineering in Trinity College Dublin, where she remained for 3.5 years, and where she was Programme Director of the MSc course in Civil Engineering. In September 2003, she was appointed as a College Lecturer in what was then the School of Architecture, Landscape and Civil Engineering, now the School of Civil Engineering, and where she is now a Full Professor of Civil Engineering. Professor Ahern held a number of leadership roles in the School of Civil Engineering, including Head of Teaching and Learning from 2012-2016 and then as Head of the School of Civil Engineering from 2016-2019. She was the first female to be appointed as a Head of School in the College of Engineering and Architecture. She oversaw on behalf of the School the development of the new Chang'an civil engineering degree programme in the School of Civil Engineering, which eventually led to the establishment of Chang'an Dublin International College of Transportation, a joint international College between UCD and Chang'an University in Xian, China, now delivering programmes in Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, and City Planning.

In both Trinity and UCD, Professor Ahern has conducted research in the area of transport engineering, with a particular interest in transport equity, accessibility, rural transport policy, energy in transport and sustainable transport. She was appointed by Government to the Carbon Budget Committee which reported to the Government's Climate Advisory Council in 2020-2021. She has received research funding from the EU, CARDI, HEA, industry, SFI and other bodies for research in this area.

Professor Ahern was appointed by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to the NUI Senate in 2023 and she will hold this position until 2028. The Senate of the National University of Ireland has functions and responsibilities in relation to the following: determining basic matriculation requirements; and reviewing the content and teaching of courses; and appointing external examiners; awarding degrees and other qualifications.

Professor Ahern is a member of Engineers Ireland Accreditation board, which provides oversight of the accreditation of all engineering degrees in Ireland.

Alongside her research in transport, Professor Ahern has, since joining UCD, also developed research in the areas of pedagogy and education, with a particular emphasis on the role of critical thinking in the university curriculum, looking at how this might be defined, measured and assessed, and its importance to different disciplines including engineering. She has received funding from the EU in this area. She is/was external examiner in Trinity College Dublin, IT Sligo and Open University for their programmes in transport and/or engineering.

She also has a significant interest in encouraging women to study and engage in engineering, and has supervised PhD students looking at the barriers to women studying and staying in engineering as a programme of study and as a career. She has received funding from the EU and industry for research in this area. Currently, she is supervising a researcher looking into the retention of women in engineering careers, with funding from Smurfit Kappa (2023-2025).

My research focuses on epithelial barrier function in the context of inflammatory bowel disease. Our lab is investigating novel signaling molecules that promote epithelial or mucus barrier repair. Our research is designed to better understand epithelial barrier dysfunction in IBD with the goal of identifying possible novel therapeutic strategies.

I am an ecologist interested in quantifying ecosystem processes and understanding how they are affected by human decisions with a focus on wet landscapes. Particularly, I work on (1) assessing the effects of restoration and management measures (such as mowing, tree removal, rewetting, dike removal) on the functioning of temperate fens (groundwater dependant peatland) and (2) how indicators of ecosystem homogeneity/heterogeneity can be used to characterise degradation/restoration.

I like to investigate vegetation-water-soil dynamics at multiple scales and how they are modulated by meteorological forcings. I am currently broadening my scope to study interactions among different 'natural' ecosystems (wetland-forest) within close proximity and their implications for restoration targets.

I am a recipient of the Irish Research Council's New Foundations Award 2022, under which I studied how microtopography can provide hidden clues about peat formation and carbon storage. Previously, as a postdoctoral researcher I mapped subsurface export risk of nutrients from coastal catchments into the Baltic Sea. I also actively like to stay involved with interdisciplinary research on the interactions between human society and the natural environment in deltas which includes understanding how climate change impacts human well-being and how ecosystem services are connected to health and livelihoods.

I received my Doctoral Degree (Dr. agr.) from the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the University of Rostock, Germany, in 2021. Additionally, I had completed MSc. in Applied Ecology (from France & Portugal) and Masters in Natural Resource and Environmental Management, and a BSc. in Environmental Science (from Dhaka, Bangladesh).

Dr Praveenkumar Aivalli is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin (UCD). He is currently contributing to the international research initiative titled Personalised mHealth Maternal Nutritional Education for Equitable Nutritional Access and Improved Maternal and Offspring Health Outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa (AMEN). This collaborative project, jointly led by UCD and the University of Limpopo in South Africa, aims to advance Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 3 by addressing preventable maternal and child morbidity and mortality associated with nutritional inequities.

Dr Aivalli has a strong background in global public health and health policy and systems research, with a particular focus on implementation science to improve maternal and child health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. His current research centres on the development and implementation of mobile health strategies that promote balanced nutrition during pregnancy, with an emphasis on leveraging locally available staple foods to support sustainable dietary practices.

Methodologically, his expertise spans both qualitative and quantitative data analysis, theory-driven inquiry, and evidence synthesis. He has contributed to a range of rigorous research activities, including scoping reviews, systematic reviews, realist reviews, realist evaluations, and implementation research. Dr Aivalli’s work is grounded in health systems thinking and seeks to inform the design, adaptation, and scale-up of equitable health interventions in resource-constrained settings.

I am an Assistant Professor in the School of Politics and International Relations at University College Dublin. I am also the Principal Mediator & ADR Specialist at Duna ADR.

My research focuses on the use of mixed-methods approaches in politics, international development, and law. My current research examines the impacts of corruption and sexual corruption on national and international development, with an emphasis on influencing anti-corruption reforms, practices, and laws with evidence-based research and policies. I am also interested in the broad areas of international relations and development studies, such as the politics of international organisations, foreign aid, and conflicts. I make use of quantitative, qualitative, and geospatial analysis in my studies, either as a mixed-methods study or independently.

I have a PhD in International Relations (with a thematic major in Global Human Development) from University College Dublin. I also have a BSc in International Relations, with first class honours from Godfrey Okoye University, and an MSc in International Relations, with distinction from the University of Strathclyde. In addition to this, I have a Diploma in Law. My PhD was funded by the Irish Research Council (now Research Ireland), and I was a Commonwealth Scholar during my MSc Programme. I am interested in bridging the gaps between academic research and teaching with hands-on experiences in the fields of politics, development, and law. More details can be found on my CV.

I am a chemical engineer from Saudi Arabia with research interests in heterogeneous catalysis and in-situ spectroscopy. I studied at UC Berkeley (USA), KAUST (Saudi Arabia), and the University of Wisconsin–Madison (USA). My PhD work in Prof. Ive Hermans' lab focused on the development of a high‑pressure DRIFTS-MS setup for transient thermocatalytic CO₂ hydrogenation studies. As a postdoctoral fellow in Prof. Nobutaka Maeda's lab at Kyushu University (Japan), I worked on coupling modulation‑excitation techniques with synchrotron-based XAS and SAXS at SAGA Light Source.

Dr Salam Al-Sabah is a structural engineer with a PhD from UCD in 2012. He joined UCD as an Assistant Professor in Structural Engineering in 2024. Prior to that he worked at UCD as a Research Scientist and Research Fellow since 2013. Parallel to his work at UCD, he is continuing to work as a structural engineer with Arup since 2006, where he is involved in the design and review of many significant projects around the world.

He is a Fellow of Engineers Ireland and a Member of the Institution of Structural Engineers. He is a member of NSAI Committee “NSAI/TC 015/SC2 – Concrete” which is currently working on developing the Irish National Annex to the Second Generation of Eurocode.

He is teaching modules related to structural design (Design of Structures 2, Design of Structures 3, and Case Studies).

His research interests are in developing more efficient steel and concrete structures to resist static and dynamic actions with minimum embodied carbon. His lines of research are on developing efficient and quick steel moment connections using advanced 3D steel cutting technologies, developing demountable shear studs for composite construction, and developing efficient reinforcement detailing to minimise reinforcement use in reinforced concrete structures.

Marco works at the intersection of wearable and implantable bioelectronics, embedded systems, wireless communications, and AI-driven analytics for health applications, with a mission to translate foundational engineering into clinically meaningful technologies. Marco’s research takes a systems-level perspective that integrates analogue front ends, embedded electronics, low-power communications, data architectures, and AI to create autonomous platforms for real-time physiological monitoring and decision support. 

Marco’s academic journey spans continents and disciplines. He earned his BEng in Mechatronics from the University of the Armed Forces in Ecuador and was awarded the Korean Government Scholarship to pursue graduate studies in South Korea. He completed an MEng in Micro/Nano Systems at Korea University and a PhD in Electrical Engineering at KAIST, where he developed flexible dry electrodes and integrated electronics for wearable cardiac sensing under the supervision of Prof Seunghyup Yoo. In 2022 he joined the Bioelectronics Laboratory at the University of Cambridge as a Postdoctoral Research Associate and Postdoctoral By-Fellow, conducting interdisciplinary research in partnership with clinicians, engineers, and scientists as part of the ADVANTAGE consortium on visceral pain and multimodal health sensing platforms under Prof George Malliaras. 

Marco’s work emphasises translational science, engaging with clinicians, study managers, patients, and multidisciplinary teams to ensure that innovations address real-world healthcare challenges. His global experience spanning Ecuador, South Korea, the UK, and now Ireland, reflects a commitment to collaborative research that bridges engineering, medicine, and data science.

Mohamad Alsaadi is a research fellow engineer at the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University College Dublin (UCD), Ireland. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Gaziantep University, Turkey, awarded with distinction, and has more than 20 years of academic and research experience across Europe and the Middle East. Dr Alsaadi has previously held academic positions as a lecturer in Materials and Mechanical Engineering and has supervised and trained undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral researchers. His research expertise spans polymer and advanced composite materials, including thermosetting and thermoplastic composites, fracture mechanics, fibre hybridisation, 3D/4D printing, shape memory materials, nanocomposites, composite repair, and sustainable manufacturing. His work also extends to wind turbine blade materials, anti-erosion coatings, hydrogen storage composite vessels (Type IV and Type V), circular economy solutions, and life-cycle assessment. Dr Alsaadi is a former Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellow and a Research Ireland Industry RD&I Fellow at the PRISM Research Institute, Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), Ireland, where he led collaborative projects with industry partners. He has authored more than 40 peer-reviewed journal publications (h-index: 16) in leading journals, including Composites Part B, Composite Structures, Nanomaterials, Sustainability, and the Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing. His strong record of industry collaboration, funded research, and materials innovation supports the development of durable, smart, and sustainable composite technologies aligned with green energy and Industry 5.0. His websites:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mohamad-Alsaadi