Dr Alireza Esfahani

Dr Alireza Esfahani is a Senior Lecturer in Cyber Security at the School of Computing and Engineering (SCE) at the University of West London, where he also serves as the BSc Cyber Security course leader. From 2021 to 2023, he held a lecturing position at the University of Greenwich. 

Dr Esfahani earned his PhD in Telecommunications through the MAP-TELE doctoral program from the University of Porto, Portugal, in 2017. Following his PhD, he gained valuable postdoctoral experience at the Instituto de Telecomunicações in Portugal, where he worked from July 2017 to May 2019. 

He has made significant contributions to the field of cybersecurity, authoring over 50 scientific publications. Alireza has also worked as a research associate at SnT-CritiX at the University of Luxembourg, where he was instrumental in two EU pilot cybersecurity projects: "SPARTA" and "CyberSec4Eu." He is an active member of the European Cyber Security Organisation (ECSO) and IEEE. 

Dr Esfahani’s research is centered on solving critical security challenges in connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) networks, focusing on safety, privacy, integrity, availability and reliability of communications. His expertise extends to Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and Open Radio Access Networks (O-RAN), exploring how these technologies can enhance the security and flexibility of intelligent transportation systems. 

His work addresses end-to-end secure communication between vehicles and roadside units, intelligent traffic management and ensuring the safe operation of autonomous vehicles in real-time. He also explores broader advancements in Industry 4.0 and 5G networks, contributing to the integration of AI-driven solutions for autonomous systems.

Recently, Dr Esfahani won a UKRI grant for the project titled "AI-powered Automotive API Security System for Connected & Autonomous Vehicles." If you are interested in pursuing a PhD in this domain, feel free to contact him.