/prod01/channel_3/media/tcd/elecengineering/images/Future-Networks-Research-Group.png)
Research Fellows
Biography
Dr Fiona McDermott is a Research Fellow at Trinity College Dublin, where she contributes to the Network Ecologies and Smart Cities working groups at the CONNECT Research Centre. She holds a PhD in computer science from TCD and a Masters in urban design from the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London. Her research explores emerging internet technologies from an interdisciplinary perspective, paying attention to the environmental, spatial and socio-cultural dimensions of technological development. She is a member of the Engineering and Computer Sciences Multidisciplinary Committee of the Royal Irish Academy.
From 2020 to 2022, she was a curator for the Irish national pavilion at the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale and co-editor of the book, ‘States of Entanglement: Data in the Irish Landscape’ (Actar Publishers, 2021). In 2017-2018, she was an Environmental Protection Agency sponsored Fulbright visiting scholar at the New School in New York City. Previously she worked as a researcher at the University of Limerick and before engaging in academia, she worked for urban design and landscape architecture practices in Germany, Denmark and the UK.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-mcdermott-165670a7/
Biography
Dmitrii Briantcev earned his bachelor's degree in Radiophysics from Saint Petersburg State University, Russia, in 2018, focusing on numerical analysis of optical fiber mode structures. He pursued further studies at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia, completing both a Master's and a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering under Professor Mohamed-Slim Alouini, where he focused on using physical simulations and machine learning to improve contemporary Free Space Optical (FSO) communication techniques.
In June 2023, Dmitrii joined the CONNECT Centre in Dublin, Ireland, where he worked on developing quantum optical communication technologies as part of the IrelandQCI project.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmitrii-dima-briantcev-b9054831/
Google Scholar: Dmitrii Briantcev - Google Scholar
Research Gate: Dmitrii Briantcev (researchgate.net)
Connect website: https://connectcentre.ie/people/dmitrii-briantcev/
Biography
Rishu is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the CONNECT research center in Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. He has been awarded the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowship. He completed his Ph.D. in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, India, in 2022. For his Ph.D. thesis, he received the Innovative Student Project Award given by the Indian National Academy of Engineering. He obtained the B. Tech. degree in Electrical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology Agartala, Tripura, India in 2014, where he was awarded the Institute Gold Medal for academic excellence. He is a member of the IEEE and Optica. His research interests include free space optical communication, digital twins, optical communication networks, and non-linear optics.
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rishu-raj
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=PL98VnQAAAAJ
Biography
Devika joined the CONNECT centre at Trinity College Dublin as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in 2023. Her research interest encompasses advanced modulation formats for optical access networks (5G/6G), mmWave and THz signal generation, and the characterization and applications of SiP-based optical devices. She earned her Ph.D. in 2023 from Dublin City University, focusing on 'Next Generation Hybrid Optical & Wireless Systems for Converged Access Networking.' Her prior research experience includes involvement in free space optical communication and Radio over Fiber technology from institutes CSIR-National Physical Laboratory and Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IITD). She did master’s in Communication Engineering from VIT University, Vellore, India in 2017 and undergraduate in Electronics and Telecommunication from Amity University, India in 2014.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devikadass/
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=gbQ_KFUAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
Research Assistants
Biography
Darach is the programme manager for Smart Docklands (a Smart Dublin district) based at the CONNECT Research Centre. He has over 10 years’ experience working within local government, academia and SaaS solutions focusing on smart cities and the implementation of digital technologies in the public sector. He has a strong history of engaging with and maintaining relationships with both internal and external stakeholders, proactively tracking and reporting project progress statuses, developing project plans, roadmaps, scopes, communication plans, and conducting risk mitigation strategies.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darach-mac-donncha-aa4229b6/
Biography
Grace is the Engagement Programme Manager for the Academy of the Near Future, an education programme in collaboration with CONNECT, Dublin City Council and Smart Docklands. She aims to bring young people into the conversation about emerging technologies in our communities through interactive workshops, hands-on activities and online resources. She leads on strategic development of the programme, stakeholder management and communication planning. She is currently working with schools setting up local monitoring of air pollution and traffic, while completing a research master's on youth participation in citizen science.
Biography
Eamonn is currently the programme manager for Smart Balbriggan (a Smart Dublin district) based at the CONNECT Research Centre. His career spans 20 years across technology and media. He has founded multiple software startups and a think tank. Eamonn is also a two-time Emmy Award winner from his time in TV.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eamonn-donlyn-5a26285/
Biography
Clara is an Engagement Programme Lead within the Academy of the Near Future/Smart Docklands. She is leading a programme that engages primary school students with the potential of digital connectivity, as part of our partnership with Cellnex Foundation. Her background is in social science and digital transformation. Clara brings a strong passion to empower young people to use technology to make a difference in their communities.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clara-butz/
Biography
Mariana is an Engagement Programme Lead within the Academy of the Near Future. She is working on a project called “Building Leaders, Crafting Communities” in collaboration with Dreamspace at Microsoft Ireland project, using Minecraft as a tool to increase awareness and understanding of smart and sustainable cities. She has a BSc Biotechnology Engineer and a MSc in Biotechnology and Business. Mariana is passionate about STEM, leadership and technology, aiming to transform student’s perception of STEM.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariana-chihenseck-blanco-32196b205/
Biography
Karolina is the Project and Engagement Manager for Smart Docklands, where she is in charge of their community engagement. She is passionate about finding compromises and solutions for better cities.
She has earned a double BSc degree – in Urban Management and in Real Estate and graduated from a master’s program in Spatial Management. During her studies, she held a position of a research assistant at the Department of Geography at the King’s College London and the Institute of Housing and Urban Development Studies at the Erasmus University Rotterdam.
She holds a PhD in Human Geography. During her PhD she was also a researcher in the Innovation Districts? Creative Industries and Urban Changes project. Before that she worked for a London based leading urban planning company specialising in community consultation and engagement.
Biography
Claudia Bailey is the Technology and Engagement Manager for Smart Docklands and is in charge of engaging with local authorities about new and emerging smart technology. Claudia holds a B.A. in Public Relations and Strategic Communication from American University in Washington, D.C. She also graduated with distinction from the MSc in Smart and Sustainable Cities at Trinity College Dublin. Her Masters research focused on walkability and the application of the 15-minute city in Dublin.
She is currently working on delivering workshops on smart technology, Artificial Intelligence, and digital rights for local authority staffers in Dublin City Council. Claudia also represents Dublin in the Cities Coalition for Digital Rights and leads on shaping how digital rights are mainstreamed in the public sector. She is passionate about creating a viable urban future for all by bridging the communication gap between technological solutions and people.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudia-bailey-222722b4/
PhD Students
Biography
Sumaiya is currently pursuing her PhD at Trinity College Dublin, focusing her research on cross-layer control, multi-domain optical networks, and programmable switches designed for high-capacity applications and emerging technologies such as 6G. Her ultimate goal is to facilitate the connection between academic research and the practical deployment of optical communication solutions in community-driven smart cities.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sumaiya-ali-909931272/
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=PofqwX0AAAAJ&hl=en
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/Sumaiya80576276
Biography
Vikash has a background in Physics and Quantum Information and Computation. He completed my B.Sc. in Physics from MGSU Bikaner, India, in 2020, and subsequently pursued a M.Sc. in Quantum Information and Computation at the esteemed Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur, in 2022.
Vikash’s research interests lie in Quantum Optics, Quantum Information Theory and Quantum Communication. His Master’s thesis was based on “CHSH violation in generated Bell’s state”. During his Master’s, Vikash had the privilege of participating in various summer schools and internships in India, where he learned about the field of quantum physics.
Currently, his Ph.D. project focuses on “optical comb generation for quantum communication.”
Biography
Jerry is the RIT Research Division Manager with responsibility for the Research Data Centre, Testbeds and Labs within the Walton Institute at the South East Technological University (SETU). He has over 20 years of ICT, networking, systems architecture, and research experience. He has secured millions of euros in funding to build out the research data centre, multiple testbeds (Networking, Cloud, IoT, SDI, etc), and communications research laboratories (Bio-Nano, Optics/Quantum, Radio, Electronics, Satellite, etc), and he has designed the infrastructural architectures for many of Walton Institute spin-out companies.
He is currently pursuing a PhD at the CONNECT Research Centre. His research interests include software defined infrastructure, internet of things, security, satellite communications, and quantum communications / computing with a specific emphasis on quantum communications via nano satellites.
Biography
Dennis McNulty is currently undertaking an SFI-funded PhD at CONNECT. His project, entitled "Diagramming the Quantum Internet", investigates the complexities of representing knowledge in an interdisciplinary research context, examining the disciplinary norms around knowledge production and representation among engineers and quantum physicists working in the context of the CoQREATE project.
McNulty is an artist, musician and engineer who holds a degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters in Music and Media Technologies, both from Trinity College Dublin. He has exhibited widely as an artist. His work is held in collections of The Irish Museum of Modern Art and the Arts Council, among others.
From 2013 to 2021 McNulty was Artist in Residence at CONNECT where he was a founding member of the Orthogonal Methods Group, a virtual transdisciplinary research platform with the broad purpose of generating new research orientations, and producing insights on technology, creativity and society. As a member of the interdisciplinary research platform Designing for the Unknown, he co-produced an ethics strand for CONNECT's "Summer School on Machine Learning for Communication Systems and Networks" (2019).
Biography
Athira Kalavampara Raghunadhan is a CONNECT PhD researcher at Trinity College Dublin under the supervision of Nicola Marchetti, Daniel Kilper and Indrakshi Dey. Athira received her BTech degree in Computer science and Engineering from Calicut University, India in 2016, and her MTech. in Embedded Systems from the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (APJAKTU), India in 2019. In 2020 and 2021, she was awarded the UGC-NET qualification in Computer Science and Applications, enabling her to hold the position of Assistant Professor in India. She is currently pursuing her PhD on the topic of “Quantum Network Tomography” at CONNECT. This PhD position is part of a large-scale ambitious program named CoQREATE (Convergent Quantum Research Alliance in Telecommunications), involving top universities in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the US. Her research interests focus on Wireless Communication, Computer Networks, and Quantum Network.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/athira-kalavampara-raghunadhan-816037247/
Biography
Urooj completed her undergraduate studies in Electrical Engineering at Air University in Islamabad, Pakistan, in 2017. Subsequently, she achieved her Master's degree in Telecommunication and Computer Networks from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Islamabad.
During the following 3.5 years, Urooj served as a Hardware Design Engineer at the Research Lab in Air University from 2018 to 2021. Following this period, she assumed the position of Senior Hardware Design Engineer at National Scientific Engineering for a year, spanning from 2021 to 2022.
Presently, Urooj is engaged in her doctoral studies, focusing on the intricate realm of 'Energy analysis and modeling of O-RAN.' This academic pursuit is generously supported by ADVANCE CRT.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/urooj-tariq-77aa79220/