Conferring
JANUS Research Group – Researcher Profiles
Dr Michael McCann
Senior Lecturer for Research Development, Director – JANUS Research Group.
Research Focus & Expertise:
Dr. Michael McCann is a leader in Research & Innovation (R&I), High-Performance Computing (HPC), and cross-border research partnerships. As Academic Director for JANUS, he has successfully secured over €5 million in research funding, leading major cross-border initiatives.
Key Contributions & Impact:
- Academic Lead PI for Data2Sustain.
- Lead PI for THRIVE PRTP.
- Principal Investigator (PI) for PEACETIME & iMPROVE (PEACEPLUS 4.1).
- Established the JANUS HPC infrastructure at ATU Donegal, supporting AI and big data research.
- Co PI for SFI Insight Research Centre
Dr John O’Raw
Lecturer & Principal Investigator in Critical Infrastructure & Data Systems.
Key Contributions & Impact:
Dr. John O’Raw is a Lecturer and Researcher in the Department of Computing at ATU Donegal, with a focus on critical infrastructure, data centre engineering, and precision timing and navigation. With over eight years of international industry experience and fourteen years as an IT manager, John has extensive expertise in data systems and network engineering.
- Founder and administrator of ATU’s Teaching and Research Data Centre.
- Leads research in critical infrastructure resilience and precision data systems.
- Contributor to Project JANUS, focusing on secure data integration and compliance.
Publications:
Dr. Saritha Unnikrishnan
Principal Investigator in Computer Vision & Machine Learning
Research Focus & Expertise:
Dr. Saritha Unnikrishnan is a Lecturer in Computing and Principal Investigator in AI-driven Computer Vision at ATU Sligo. She has led major enterprise-funded AI research projects, including an AI-enabled computer vision solution licensed to GSK.
Key Contributions & Impact:
- Secured over €2 million in research funding, leading multiple national and EU projects.
- Awarded in Ireland’s National AI Challenge 2024.
- Actively involved in European COST Actions and cross-border AI initiatives.
Dr Muslim Jameel Syed
Lecturer, Enterprise and Technology Department – Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Galway
Research Focus & Expertise:
Dr. Muslim Jameel Syed is a Lecturer at the School of Business, Enterprise and Technology, ATU Galway, and a registered expert witness specializing in Artificial Intelligence, Digital Twin technologies, and cross-border legal-tech innovation. His research bridges Responsible AI, AI governance, and the practical integration of emerging technologies into real-world domains such as renewable energy, MedTech, and SMEs. He actively contributes to EU and national projects, fosters academic-industry partnerships, and advises on regulatory compliance under frameworks like the EU AI Act and GDPR. Currently supervising 06 PhD’s and 01 Postdoc Ethical and legal implications of AI and Emerging Technology, Responsible AI development, Blockchain-integrated Digital Twins, Secure AI Implementation in SMEs, and Drone-based Precision Agriculture.
Key Contributions & Impact:
• Expert Evaluator for Research & Innovation Foundation, Cyprus, reviewing AI-driven business models and compliance for innovative SMEs.
• Member for the TU RISE Programme (€2.3M), training 24 PhD candidates in AI, digital transformation, and sustainability.
• Research Collaborator with SFI Insight Centre, and Co-PI on a project focused on women’s empowerment via social media inclusion.
• Contributor to high-impact EU Horizon, SEAI, and AWS-supported projects, including CRIMSON, DeepWindDemo, and HEATCHECK.
• Editorial board member of international journal of high repute.
• International keynote speaker focusing on the societal impacts of AI.
Dr. Shagufta Henna
Researcher in AI & Next-Gen Communication Systems
Research Focus & Expertise:
Dr. Shagufta Henna specializes in AI, Graph Neural Networks (GNNs), and cloud computing. She has contributed to ITU-T’s Machine Learning for Future Networks and serves on the High-Performance Computing Supervisory Board.
Key Contributions & Impact:
- Recognized in Women in STEM leadership initiatives.
- Principal Investigator for SFI ARC Hub for AI-driven ICT Innovations.
- Leads research on federated learning, cybersecurity, and explainable AI.
Dr. Paul Higgins
Lecturer & Researcher in Computational Biology & Machine Learning
Research Focus & Expertise:
Dr. Paul Higgins combines metabolic physiology, computational biology, and machine learning to identify early drivers of metabolic disease. His work at JANUS focuses on leveraging HPC for population-level metabolic risk prediction.
Key Contributions & Impact:
- Over 30 peer-reviewed publications in metabolic disease research.
- Research integrates big data, genomics, and AI for precision healthcare solutions.
- Serves as an editor for two international peer-reviewed journals.
Publications:
Dr William Farrelly
Lecturer in Computer Security & Principal Investigator, WiSAR Lab
Research Focus & Expertise:
Dr. William Farrelly is a Lecturer in the Department of Computing at Atlantic Technological University (ATU), specialising in computer system security. As a Principal Investigator at the WiSAR Lab, ATU Donegal, he leads innovative projects integrating emerging technologies into healthcare solutions.
Key Contributions & Impact:
- Research interests include information privacy, cybersecurity, and the application of digital innovation to improve healthcare outcomes.
- Leads research at WiSAR Lab, applying emerging technologies to healthcare challenges.
- Spearheaded a VR project designed to enhance the quality of life for elderly care home residents, using 360-degree immersive video to evoke nostalgia and improve emotional well-being.
Dr. Santosh Yadav
Senior Data Scientist at Data2Sustain, ATU
Research Focus & Expertise:
Dr. Santosh Yadav specializes in High-Performance Computing (HPC), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Computer Vision. His research integrates large multimodal AI models for healthcare diagnostics, human activity recognition, and real-time audio-visual processing.
Key Contributions & Impact:
- Former AI Research Scientist at CeADAR Ireland and Postdoctoral Scientist at University of Galway.
- Expert in AI-driven multimodal analytics, integrating computer vision, wearable sensing, and Wi-Fi sensing.
- Developed low-power AI platforms for real-time healthcare monitoring.
Dr. Hager Saleh
Postdoctoral Researcher, Insight Research Centre, University of Galway (in partnership with ATU)
Research Focus & Expertise:
Dr. Hager Saleh is a specialist in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Analytics, leveraging High-Performance Computing (HPC) to address complex challenges in sustainability, healthcare, and resource optimization. Her work within the Insight Research Centre at the University of Galway, in partnership with ATU, focuses on scalable AI solutions, integrating Natural Language Processing (NLP), Large Language Models (LLMs), and Explainable AI (XAI) to enhance decision-making and real-time data analytics.
Key Contributions & Impact:
- Prior experience as a Senior Machine Learning Engineer at PaxeraHealth, integrating AI into medical imaging and analytics.
- Developed transformer-based AI models for environmental monitoring and medical diagnostics.
- Advanced real-time data streaming and decision-support systems for industry applications.
Pranavsingh Dhunnoo
Research Focus & Expertise:
Originating from the tropical island of Mauritius, Pranavsingh Dhunnoo is a scholar and researcher currently undertaking an interdisciplinary PhD project at ATU Donegal. His research focuses on AI integration in virtual consultations, with broader interests in digital health, merging his background in medicine and passion for futuristic technologies.
Key Contributions & Impact:
- Bridging medical expertise and advanced AI applications in real-world healthcare settings.
- Developing AI-driven methodologies for enhancing virtual healthcare consultations.
- Exploring cross-border digital health solutions to improve patient engagement and service delivery.