Profiles

Alumni

Biography

Yasir Ghunaim is a Ph.D. candidate in Computer Science at KAUST in the Image and Video Understanding Lab (IVUL), supervised by Professor Bernard Ghanem. His research focuses on efficient machine learning for scientific and medical applications, with an emphasis on improving data, training, and model efficiency to enable scalable and practical ML systems.

Yasir holds an M.S. in Computer Science from KAUST and a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Virginia Tech. Prior to his graduate studies, he gained over seven years of experience in automation systems.

Expertise and Interests

Yasir's research focuses on applying machine learning to solve real-world challenges, with an emphasis on efficient training and inference of models. This includes improving data, training, and model efficiency to create more scalable and effective solutions.

Education
Master of Science (M.S.)
Computer Science, King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia, 2023
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, United States, 2014
Biography

Yiming Yang is a Ph.D. candidate at the KAUST Integrated Microwaves Packaging Antennas and Circuits Technology Research Group under the supervision of Professor Atif Shamim. Before joining KAUST, Yiming obtained a bachelor's degree in electronic science and technology from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC).

Expertise and Interests

Yiming Yang‘s research interests include frequency selective surfaces, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, and meta-surfaces in combination with additive manufacturing, time modulation, and other fabrication and reconfiguration methods.

Education
Master of Engineering (M.Eng.)
Electrical and Computer Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia, 2021
Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.)
Electronic Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, China, 2020
Biography

Yingquan Li is an M.S./Ph.D. candidate in the KAUST Communication Theory Lab under the supervision of Professor Mohamed-Slim Alouini. Before joining KAUST, Yingquan earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China.

Expertise and Interests

Yingquan's research interests include advanced signal detecting and processing, hardware implementation of key communication technology and underwater optical wireless communication. Li is focusing in the area of digital signal processing, wireless optical communication and circuit design.

Education
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Computer and Communication Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology, China, 2020
Biography

Yiyang Yu is a Ph.D. Candidate at Integrated Microwaves Packaging Antennas & Circuit Technology Research Group under the supervision of Professor Atif Shamim at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). His current research interests include on-chip antenna design and artificial magnetic conduction design for 6G mm-wave applications.

Expertise and Interests

Yiyang's research interests include ​Electrically Small Antenna Design.

Education
Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.)
Electrical Engineering, University of Electronics of Science and Technology, China, 2019
Biography

Yongqiang Zhang received the B.Sc. degree in communication engineering from Southwest University, Chongqing, China, in 2019, and the M.S. degree in electrical and computer engineering from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, in 2021, where he is currently pursuing the Ph.D. degree. 

Expertise and Interests

His main research interests include the performance analysis and optimization of the integrated access and backhaul (IAB) networks.

Education
Master of Science (M.S.)
Electrical and Computer Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology , Saudi Arabia, 2021
Biography

Yue Wang is a Ph.D. candidate at the Photonics Laboratory at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), under the mentorship of Prof. Boon S. Ooi. She earned her B.Eng. in Electronic Science and Technology from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) in 2020. She received her master's degree in Electrical Engineering from KAUST in 2021.

Yue Wang's research focuses on semiconductor optoelectronics, high-speed color-converting luminescent devices, and optical wireless communication. She specializes in characterizing color-converting materials, designing and fabricating luminescent optoelectronic devices, and developing optical wireless communication systems.

Expertise and Interests

Yue Wang has explored emerging luminescent materials such as perovskites, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and organic fluorophores, enabling Gb/s visible light communication and wavelength-division multiplexing with enhanced channel capacity. To relieve the stringent requirements of pointing, acquisition, and tracking in underwater optical wireless communication channels, she employed scintillating fibers and luminescent solar concentrators for wide field-of-view, high-speed photodetection. Her work also extends to optical amplification, where she has developed a high-gain visible-light amplifier based on perovskite quantum dots, potentially addressing the optical loss during long-distance optical data transmission.

Education
Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.)
Electronic Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), China, 2020
Biography

Zhengying Lou is a Ph.D. student at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. She received her B.S. degree in Communication Engineering from University of Electronic Science and Technology of China in 2021. In 2022, she received her M.Sc. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from KAUST. Her current research interests include stochastic geometry and wireless networks.

Expertise and Interests

Zhengying Lou's research interests include Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and Optimization.

Education
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Communication Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), China, 2021
Master of Science (M.S.)
Electrical and Computer Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia, 2022
Biography

Zhiyuan Liu earned his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in 2025. His doctoral research was conducted in the KAUST Advanced Semiconductor Laboratory under the supervision of Professor Xiaohang Li.

Liu’s work focuses on the design, fabrication and performance optimization of III-nitride optoelectronic devices, including micro-LEDs, deep ultraviolet LEDs and ultraviolet photodetectors. His research emphasizes device structural design, physical modeling, micro- and nanofabrication, and surface and interface engineering to improve efficiency, reliability and scalability.

During his time at KAUST, Liu developed an etching-free fabrication approach for ultra-small micro-LEDs based on selective thermal oxidation. This work was recognized with the International Solid State Lighting Alliance’s 2025 Global SSL Award of Innovations Top 100, highlighting its contribution to improving device efficiency, stability and manufacturability.

Liu has authored more than 30 SCI-indexed journal publications, including 10 first-author papers in leading journals such as Light: Science & Applications, Optics Letters and Journal of Materials Chemistry C.

He is currently a professor at the Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics (SINANO), Chinese Academy of Sciences, where he continues to advance research on micro-LED technologies and III-nitride optoelectronic devices.

Biography

Zipei Geng completed his undergraduate education in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Statistics from Shandong University, alongside a dual Bachelor of Science with Honours in Statistics from The University of Manchester. He subsequently pursued a Master of Science in Statistics at ETH Zurich (Eidgenoessische Technische Hochschule Zuerich) from 2019 to 2022, where his studies concentrated on variable selection and high-dimensional statistics. Currently, he is pursuing his doctoral studies as a PhD candidate in Statistics at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, working under the guidance of Prof. Marc G. Genton.

Education
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Statistics, Shandong University, China, 2019
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Statistics, The University of Manchester, United Kingdom, 2019
Master of Science (M.S.)
Statistics, ETH Zurich (Eidgenoessische Technische Hochschule Zuerich), Switzerland, 2022

Administrative Staff

Education
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Electrical Engineering, Lehigh University, United States, 2013
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Electronic Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China, 2008
Biography

Marta obtained her M.S. in Arts in Pedagogical Univesity of Cracow in Poland in 2006. In years 2004 - 2005 she studied in Aalto University of Art and Design in Helsinki, Finland. Later on, Marta, obtained further qualification in Audiovisual Communication in Vocational Adults Education Center, Espoo in Finland. Prior to joining KAUST she worked as a freelance graphic designer for University of Helsinki, for Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki, Finland, and for private customers in Finland and Poland. I am an active art painter and I held many art exhibitions (solo and group) in Poland, Finland and KSA.

Marta joined KAUST in August 2014 and worked as a graphic designer in the Presidents Office, at KAUST Marketing and Communication Office, and since September 2017 for CEMSE Division. 

Expertise and Interests

Detail-oriented and results-driven Graphic Designer producing high-quality graphics, illustrations and layouts for websites, social media, and print. I've been working with scientific disciplines, efficiently expressing complex data and ideas through deliverables like scientific posters and presentations, infographics, animations, and other visual aids that can make scientific concepts more engaging and accessible to non-experts.

Video Producer with a solid working knowledge in supporting vertical content teams, assembling and editing footage, maintaining fluid storylines, and selecting the desired camera angles. Skilled in performing color grading, trimming, integrating transitions, and incorporating voiceover and audio elements.  

Education
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Art and Design, Pedagogical University of Krakow, Poland, 2006