My main research interests are large-scale data visualization and analysis, immersive analytics, and computer graphics. In particular, I develop new algorithms for representing, processing, and visualizing large-scale data such as gigapixel images, and high-resolution volumes. I also explore new techniques and develop open-source tools that leverage augmented / mixed / virtual reality technology towards novel ways to experience and analyze data.

Ronell Sicat is a Research Scientist in the High Performance Visualization Group (HPV) working with Professor Markus Hadwiger at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).

Education and Early Career

Dr. Sicat obtained his bachelor degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Ateneo de Manila University in Philippines in 2008. After graduating, he worked as a Research Assistant and Lecturer for almost a year before joining KAUST to receive his master degree in Electrical Engineering and his Ph.D. in Computer Science.

Afterward, he worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Visual Computing Center (VCC) in KAUST. He left KAUST to join Harvard University as a Postdoctoral Researcher, until he returned to KAUST in 2019 as a Research Scientist to continue his research journey.

Research Interest

His main research interests are large-scale data visualization and analysis, immersive analytics, and computer graphics. He develops multi-resolution representations and algorithms for large-scale gigapixel images, and 3D volumes. He also develops visualization tools and techniques for augmented and virtual reality environments towards novel ways of experiencing and understanding data.

Education Profile

  • Ph.D., Computer Science, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia, 2015
  • M.S., Electrical Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia, 2010
  • B.S., Electronics and Communications Engineering, Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines, 2008

Selected Publications

Aboulhassan, A., Sicat, R., Baum, D., Wodo, O., & Hadwiger, M. (2017). Comparative Visual Analysis of Structure-Performance Relations in Complex Bulk-Heterojunction Morphologies. Computer Graphics Forum, 36(3), 329–339. doi:10.1111/cgf.13191
Sicat, R. B. (2015). Large-Scale Multi-Resolution Representations for Accurate Interactive Image and Volume Operations, (Dissertation). https://hdl.handle.net/10754/582749
Sicat, R., Kruger, J., Moller, T., & Hadwiger, M. (2014). Sparse PDF Volumes for Consistent Multi-Resolution Volume Rendering. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 20(12), 2417–2426. doi:10.1109/tvcg.2014.2346324
Hadwiger, M., Sicat, R., Beyer, J., Krüger, J., & Möller, T. (2012). Sparse PDF maps for non-linear multi-resolution image operations. ACM Transactions on Graphics, 31(6), 1. doi:10.1145/2366145.2366152