I have an open PhD position from September 2027 on digital twins + AI in the nuclear domain. Details here.
I am an Assistant Professor of Software Engineering at McMaster University, Canada, where I lead the Model-Integrated and Learning-Enabled Systems Lab (MILES) and work as a researcher in the McMaster Centre for Software Certification (McSCert).
My research is situated at the intersection of model-driven engineering (MDE), machine learning / AI, and digital twins. In my lab, we research how MDE can aid the systematic engineering of complex AI-enabled systems. Previously, we have developed novel and award-winning reinforcement learning techniques, model-integrated machine learning methods, and digital twin architectures.
I received my PhD in Computer Science in 2019 from the University of Antwerp, Belgium, for my work on model consistency management in multi-paradigm settings with Prof. Hans Vangheluwe (ex-McGill, currently at University of Antwerp, Belgium). Afterwards, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Software and Sustainability group at VU Amsterdam, the Netherlands with Prof. Ivano Malavolta; and at University of Montréal, Canada, with Prof. Eugene Syriani and Prof. Houari Sahraoui. In my Master’s years, I worked on streaming model transformations by complex event processing with the VIATRA/IncQuery team at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary, headed by Prof. Daniel Varro (ex-McGill, currently at Linköping University, Sweden).
I’m active outside of academia as well, mainly in innovation consulting. I served in multiple management and technical roles, most recently as the Head of Innovation for a multinational quality engineering corporation.
Top news (click for more)
- PhD position on DT+AI (2027 September)
I have an open PhD position from September 2027 on digital twins + AI in the nuclear domain. Details here. - SSM continues as MILES
From October 2026, the Sustainable Systems and Methods Lab (SSM) continues its operation as the Model-Integrated and Learning-Enabled Systems Lab (MILES). We founded our lab at McMaster University in 2023 … - New publication at MODELS’26 on the model-driven data contracts for digital twin services
Our paper Model-Driven Data Contracts for Digital Twin Services, co-authored with Philipp Zech (University of Innsbruck, Austria) has been accepted for the New Ideas and Emerging Results track of the … - Rebecca Di Filippo joins lab as a Master’s student
Rebecca Di Filippo has joined our lab as a Master of Applied Science (MASc) student in Software Engineering starting from September. Rebecca brings a particularly strong software engineering skillset and … - Sharon Liu presented her work on a reference architecture for RL at ICSA
Xiaoran (Sharon) Liu just presented her work on A Reference Architecture of Reinforcement Learning Frameworks in the main track of the CORE A-ranked International Conference on Software Architecture (ICSA). In … - New publication at MODELS’26 on the model-driven development of families of reinforcement learning environments
Our paper A Model-Driven Approach for Developing Families of Reinforcement Learning Environments, co-authored with my fantastic PhD student, Xiaoran (Sharon) Liu has been accepted for the ACM/IEEE 29th International Conference … - ACM SIGSOFT Distinguished Paper Award at MODELS’25
We (with my former student) are honored to receive the ACM SIGSOFT Distinguished Paper Award at the ACM/IEEE 28th International Conference on Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems (MODELS) for … - Distinguished Reviewer Award at MODELS’25
I am truly honored to receive a Distinguished Reviewer Award from the ACM/IEEE 28th International Conference on Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems (MODELS). Being invited to the Program Committee …
Other news (click for more)
- Sharon Liu wins the Department’s poster sessionSharon Liu has won 1st Prize in the Department’s annual poster session. Sharon’s work has been recently focusing on the engineering of reinforcement learning environments through model-driven principles and genetic …
- Lisa and Chehine join labLisa-Kooner Singh (undergraduate researcher) and Chéhine Zouari (international research student with Mitacs Globalink) joined our lab for this Summer. Lisa will work on reinforcement learning and simulation-related topics; Chéhine will …
- Two new MSc graduates from the lab: Baran Shajari and Feyi AdesanyaBaran Shajari and Feyi Adesanya have successfully defended their theses and graduated from our program with an MSc in Computer Science degree. Baran’s thesis “On the Need for Individual Sustainability …
- Call for papers: 2nd International Workshop on Low Carbon Computing (LOCO2026)https://lancaster-university.github.io/loco2026 The carbon footprint of ICT is rising despite the urgent need to decarbonise society and to stay within planetary boundaries. The operational and embodied carbon emissions from ICT are …