Faculty Research Degrees

These are the opportunities currently available within the Faculty of Computing, Information Systems and Mathematics.

Funded Scholarships

Fees-only Scholarship (Home/EU)
"3D Protein Structure Matching based on advanced descriptors", PhD Supervisor: Dr J.-C. Nebel Since many of the new 3D protein structures delivered by high-throughput processes do not have any known function, there is a need for structure-based prediction of protein function. Moreover, to date no system allows the fully automated classification of 3D protein structures. We propose the usage of advanced protein family descriptors represented by low dimention structure manifolds. Candidate should have very good programming skills. Knowledge in neither bioinformatics nor biology is necessary. More information and how to apply Supervisor's homepage and their other projects
"Genetics-inspired framework for video processing", PhD Supervisor: Dr J.-C. Nebel Although state-of-the-art visual surveillance algorithms have been the product of extensive work by many researchers worldwide for more than a decade, current approaches are still not sufficient to handle the very wide range of data exhibited by CCTV videos. Consequently, a new approach is required to deal with such variability. In this project, we propose a genetics-inspired framework which sees variability in CCTV data as the expected norm rather than an inconvenience to control. By representing a CCTV sequence as an image under evolution, we will able to design a new range of video processing algorithms inspired by genomics approaches. Excellent programming skills and good knowledge of standard video processing algorithms (foreground extraction, optical flow estimation, tracking, etc.) are required. Familiarity with dynamic programming and machine learning techniques is desirable. More information and how to apply Supervisor's homepage and their other projects
"Development of protein binding site descriptors for detection of protein-protein interaction sites", PhD Supervisor: Dr J.-C. Nebel Proteins are large molecules composed of chains of amino acids, which are called protein sequences. These chains adopt three-dimensional (3D) shapes, or structures, which define protein function. Since 3D structures of most proteins are unknown, scientists have investigated the prediction of a protein function directly from its sequence. Since many proteins only become functionally active if they interact with other proteins through specific regions, i.e. binding sites, the detection of these sites could be key to protein functional annotation. The aim of this project is, first, to produce computational tools to analyse known 3D structures of interacting proteins, and secondly, to generate binding site sequence descriptors which could be used to infer binding site location from a protein sequence. Such technology would lead to rapid screening of proteins involved in diseases and the rational design of new drugs targeting specific proteins. Candidate should have very good programming skills. Knowledge in neither bioinformatics nor biology is necessary. More information and how to apply Supervisor's homepage and their other projects
"Development of machine learning algorithms for protein-protein interaction prediction", PhD Supervisor: Dr J.-C. Nebel The scientific community is currently engaged in the ambitious task of identifying all proteins present in the human body. It is expected this project will revolutionise drug design for a whole range of diseases including cancer and diabetes. However, this will be achieved only if better computational tools are available to address the problem of automatic prediction of protein-protein interactions which play a fundamental role in many diseases. The aim of this project is to develop machine learning techniques to predict protein-protein interaction pairs and interaction sites. Learning from known protein-protein interaction networks, specific features, such as gene co-location and co-evolution patterns, will be identified to build classifiers able to differentiate between interacting and non-interacting protein pairs. Refined by the analysis of known protein complex 3D structures, this methodology will also be used to identify specific interaction sites on protein surfaces. Candidate should have very good programming skills. Knowledge in neither bioinformatics nor biology is necessary. More information and how to apply Supervisor's homepage and their other projects

Research Project Ideas

Project List
"Action Analysis for Computer Games", PhD Supervisor: Dr V. Argyriou Computer games have attracted a wide market over the past few years and their appeal may be further enhanced through vision based inputs. The high speed and low cost requirements make system design challenging. In the upcoming generation of computer games interaction will be mainly using human gestu... More information and how to apply Supervisor's homepage and their other projects
"Validation of Objective Indicators of Credibility", PhD Supervisor: Dr M. Colbert Many web user interfaces are currently designed to meet ‘credibility’ targets – visitors should believe that the web site is operated by knowledgeable and trustworthy people. Usability studies have identified many features of a user interface that contribute to, or detract from, credibility (... More information and how to apply Supervisor's homepage and their other projects
"Enhancing game-play through real-time computer vision", PhD Supervisor: Dr D. Greenhill The announcement of the Xbox 360’s controller-less peripheral Natal and Sony’s Motion Controller has generated huge interest as vision based gaming becomes an increasingly important research area. Computer vision control allows the movement or gesture of the player to affect the gameplay by crea... More information and how to apply Supervisor's homepage and their other projects
"Development of 3D image vision approaches for unsupervised high content screening of bioimaging datasets", PhD Supervisor: Dr A. Hoppe The combination of light microscopy and image processing has led to the development of more objective, quantitative analysis techniques in experimental biology. The analysis of biomedical image data is challenging but has provided an insight into complex biological processes. The current problems w... More information and how to apply Supervisor's homepage and their other projects
"Multi-Modal Analysis and Modelling of Dialogue", PhD Supervisor: Dr G.J.A. Hunter There is much “meaning” in what people are saying to others which is not obvious from the words used alone. Changes in intonation, pitch and use of pauses, as well as facial expressions and hand gestures can give other cues, expressing emotion or sarcasm, indicating questions and passing other i... More information and how to apply Supervisor's homepage and their other projects
"Emerging mobile WIMAX ( IEEE802.16m) Standard for m-health Applications", PhD Supervisor: Prof R. S. H. Istepanian The recent years have witnessed major demand for mobile healthcare ( m-health) applications for the different important clinical scenarios. In parallel to this demand, recent years have witnessed the introduction and wider proliferation of WIMAX systems for broadband wireless access services and tec... More information and how to apply Supervisor's homepage and their other projects
"Finding Occlusion Layers in Video Streams using Pixel Motion", PhD Supervisor: Prof G.A. Jones Computing the optical flow (pixel motion) requires spatial and temporal pixel regions of support. Such regions may contain motion discontinuities which can be identified using robust statistical approaches. These statistical techniques require initialisation by motion clues from other techniques such as clustering or feature matches (or estimates from previous frames). More information and how to apply Supervisor's homepage and their other projects
"Converting Films to 3D Movies (3DMovie)", PhD Supervisor: Prof G.A. Jones The ground-breaking film Avatar has encouraged movie studios to release 3D versions of classic sci-fi and fantasy films such as Star Wars, The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings. The process of adding depth to non-CG elements in a movie frame, however, is incredibly time-consuming and hence expensive.... More information and how to apply Supervisor's homepage and their other projects
"Resonant capillary-gravity waves at the interface of two fluids each of finite vertical extent", PhD Supervisor: Dr M. Jones The evolution and stability of interfaces which arise between two fluids of finite vertical extent, caused by the interaction of two different harmonics of the fundamental, are very important for a number of applications, for example, stabilizing stratified oil and water in pipe flow, the creation o... More information and how to apply Supervisor's homepage and their other projects
"Software Quality Assurance and Measurement Framework for Software Defects Detection and Containment", PhD Supervisor: Dr S. Khaddaj Many organisations use software quality assurance (SQA) measurement frameworks. However, before such a framework is developed and adopted the organisation needs to define what is meant by quality. To help this definition process, numerous approaches and quality models exist. Many of the early qu... More information and how to apply Supervisor's homepage and their other projects
"Tracking 2D Articulate Motion", PhD Supervisor: Dr D. Makris Interpreting human motion can benefit a wide variety of industrial sectors, such as sports analysis for virtual replaying and analysis of athletes’ motion patterns, visual surveillance for gait analysis, behaviour understanding and event detection, Human Computer Interaction for body motion based ... More information and how to apply Supervisor's homepage and their other projects
"Video quality assessment and source models for scalable and 3D video over wireless networks", PhD Supervisor: Dr M.G. Martini Wireless video transmission is a challenging task due to the high bandwidth required by video transmission and to the error prone wireless channel. In order to transmit video over bandwidth constrained channels, compression has to be performed. Since com-pression increases the sensitivity of transmi... More information and how to apply Supervisor's homepage and their other projects
"Information theory and channel coding for genomic signal processing", PhD Supervisor: Dr M.G. Martini Some recent works have hypothesised the existence of error-correcting codes endowing genomes with the ability of being regenerated, not merely copied. The goal of this project will be to study the application of information theory and error-correcting codes to the analysis of the genome and the ... More information and how to apply Supervisor's homepage and their other projects
"Developing longitudinal models for monitoring chronic diseases in computerised GP records", PhD Supervisor: Dr R. McNiece Longitudinal data analysis is a rapidly growing field within the statistical community with the advent of accessible, large scale, longitudinal datasets. In order to utilise this data statisticians are faced with new challenges in defining new and adapting existing techniques, methodologies and tool... More information and how to apply Supervisor's homepage and their other projects
"Closed-form solutions for pseudo-linear systems", PhD Supervisor: Dr E. Pfluegel Computer Algebra is a multi-disciplinary research field that combines mathematical concepts with computer science techniques of algorithms and data structure design. This project would offer a PhD student a wide range of research activities and the acquisition of multiple skill sets, to be carried o... More information and how to apply Supervisor's homepage and their other projects
"An analysis of the role of stratification in formal logic and set theory", PhD Supervisor: Mr C Tompsett An important problem in the field of formal logic and set theory is the control of self-reference and the justification of the principles that are introduced to do so. The approach proposed by Quine uses 'stratified set abstraction': assigning a number to each symbol within an expression and restric... More information and how to apply Supervisor's homepage and their other projects
"Active Visual Surveillance", PhD Supervisor: Dr S.A. Velastin This project refers to the use of pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras (or very high resolution cameras) for actively detecting and focusing situations of interest in the context of intelligent monitoring of spaces not only for security but for more "benign" applications such as assisted living (elderly, disabled). More information and how to apply Supervisor's homepage and their other projects
"Action recognition in cluttered environments", PhD Supervisor: Dr S.A. Velastin This project focuses on being able to understand body language, its dynamics and the interactions between people with a particular focus on understanding actions in environments which are cluttered either because of the number of people or restrictions in the environment, for example when using on-board cameras in public transport. More information and how to apply Supervisor's homepage and their other projects

Seminar Events

• Our Research Seminars

What They Say

• Arvind Ramrekha
  MSc Networking and Data Communications - PhD computing student.
  “The Research department has won several big projects recently, including the one I'm working on.”