Professor Liangxiu Han

My profile

Biography

I have a PhD in Computer Science from Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China (2002). I am currently a Professor of Computer Science at the Department of Computing and Mathematics, Manchester Metropolitan University. I am also a co-Director of Centre for Advanced Computational Science and Deputy Director of ManMet Crime and Well-Being Big Data Centre.

My research areas mainly focus on 1) the development of novel big data analytics/Machine Learning/AI, 2) development of novel intelligent architectures that facilitates big data analytics (e.g., parallel and distributed computing, Cloud/Service-oriented computing/data intensive computing), and 3) Applications in different domains (e.g. Precision Agriculture, Health, Smart Cities, Cyber Security, Energy, etc.) using various large scale datasets such as images, sensor data, network traffic, web/texts and geo-spatial data.

As a Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-PI, I have been conducting research in relation to big data/Machine Learning/AI, cloud computing/parallel and distributed computing on a number of multi-partner, multi-country, mutli-million-pound projects (funded by both national and international funding bodies such as UKRI EPSRC, BBSRC, Innovate UK, Newton Fund/GCRF, Horizon 2020, British Council, Royal Society, Industry, Charity, respectively, etc.)

I have served as an associate editor/a guest editor for a number of reputable international journals and a chair (or Co-Chair) for organisation of a number of international conferences/workshops in the field. She has been invited to give a number of keynotes and talks on different occasions (including international conferences, national and international institutions/organisations). 

I  am a member of EPSRC Peer Review College and an assessor/assessment panel member for UKRI Innovate UK, an independent expert for European Commission for proposal evaluation/mid-term project review, and British Council Peer Review Panel.

For further details please see http://www2.docm.mmu.ac.uk/STAFF/L.Han/

Interests and expertise

My broad research interests developed throughout my career over these years mainly focus on both fundamental and applied research in relation to:

  • Big data processing and data analytics (i.e. data Intensive/data-driven/big data research) and its application into different domains such as health, food/agriculture, energy, smart cities, cyber security, etc.;
  • Intelligent management and optimisation of large-scale networked distributed systems (e.g. cloud/Grid/Service-oriented computing/IoT); 
  • Software and knowledge engineering; 
  • Mathematical modelling and complexity science.

Although my research spans continuum from fundamental to applied real world questions, my current research focuses mostly on the following:

  • Development of novel data analytics/computational methods for big data (various type of data, e.g. structured and unstructured data such as biomedical scans, remote sensing imagery, texts, videos, geo-spatial data, sensors, etc.)
  • Development of novel intelligent architectures for processing and facilitating big data analysis (e.g. parallel and distributed computing/service-oriented/Cloud Computing, ranging from novel architecture design, protocols to novel algorithms on performance analysis, modelling, evaluation and optimisation)
  • Application into different domains such as: health, food/agriculture, smart cities, cyber security, energy, etc.

Driven not only by my passion and personal interest on research but also by national and international research contexts,  the ultimate goal of my research programme is to tackle societal challenges for future sustainable society through developing intelligent ICT-based solutions. 

Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration
Thomas Edison

Impact

Meeting Societal Challenges using Big Data-Driven AI-enabled  Approaches

Having worked in both industry and academia, I have over 20 years’ extensive research and practical experiences in developing intelligent ICT-enabled software solutions for big data processing and data analysis/mining in various application domains (e.g. Health, Food, Smart Cities, Energy, Cyber Security) using various large datasets (e.g. images, numerical values, sensors, geo-spatial data, web pages/texts).  I, together with a group of researchers, have been conducting world leading research in big data/AI with the applications(e.g. Agriculture, Healthcare) to address societal challenges and generate research impact. Some examplar applications of big data driven, AI-enabled systems to address the societal challenges are:

1. Precision agriculture solutions to address food security and mitigation of GHG emissions (Funded by Newton fund, GCRF, BBSRC, Innovate UK, STFC, British Council). 

2. AI for Healthcare (Scalable machine learning from big data, funded by EPSRC, Academy of Medical Sciences, Royal Society, Industry) 

Projects

As a PI or Co-PI, I have been conducting research in relation to big data processing and machine learning, cloud computing/parallel and distributed computing (funded by EPSRC, BBSRC, Innovate UK, Horizon 2020, British Council, Royal Society, Industry, Charity, etc.). The total project funding value >18m.  It is worth noting all the projects are interdisciplinary in nature, high profile with potential high societal impact both nationally and globally. 

The list of projects can be found on personal page: 

http://www2.docm.mmu.ac.uk/STAFF/L.Han/

Teaching

Since joined in Manchester Met. University in September 2010, I have undertaken teaching at both undergraduate (5 Units) and Postgraduate (2 Units), mainly for Computer Forensics and Cyber Security Degree Course including

  1. Undergraduate level:  
  • Network and Internet Forensics (Unit leader, from 2010-2018)
  • Network and Information Security for the third year (Unit leader, from 2010 – 2013)
  • Computing Forensics I for the second-year students (from 2010 -2014)
  • Professional Development Pathway Tutor for Computing Forensics (from 2010 -2012)
  • Computer Fundamentals (from 2012 -2013)
  1. Postgraduate level
  • Advanced Network Security (Unit leader, from 2014 –2016)
  • Introduction to computer forensics and security (from 2014 – 2020)
  • Cyber Seucrity principles and practices (2020- present) for both MSc Cyber Security and MSc  Apprenticeship

   3. External examiner roles

  • PhD examiners for various number of universities
  • MSc programme in Computer Forensics and Security

Supervision

I have been supervising a number of PhD candidates, Postdocs and visiting scholars. For further details, please refer to http://www2.docm.mmu.ac.uk/STAFF/L.Han/

Research outputs

My research interests mainly focus on both fundamental and applied research in relation to:

  1. Large-scale data processing and data analytics/mining (i.e. data Intensive/data-driven/big data research into different application domains such as health, food, energy, cyber security, etc.);
  2. Intelligent management and optimisation of large-scale networked distributed systems (e.g. cloud/Grid/Service-oriented computing/IoT);
  3. Software and knowledge engineering;
  4. Mathematical modelling and complexity science.

The ultimate goal is to tackle societal challenges for sustainable future. My current research activities for future sustainable society aim to provide intelligent ICT-based solutions for different application domains including food, health, energy, city planning, manufacturing, etc.

For further details, please refer to:  http://www2.docm.mmu.ac.uk/STAFF/L.Han/

Press and media

  1. N2Vision, BBC Look for EAST 09/112021, https://youtu.be/cIOWOZ23Tjs
  2. “N2Vision- Automated Nitrogen Diagnosis using Machine Vision/AI”, Agri-TechE, REAP 2021 https://app.hopin.com/events/reap-conference-2021/stages/10e72eca-53f6-…  
  3. “Could AI ease food security fears?”, New food Magazine, 15/2/2021  https://www.newfoodmagazine.com/article/138114/ai-and-food-security/
  4. “Drones using AI and Big Data can detect diseased crops from the air”, https://www2.mmu.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/story/8539/  
  5. “A Cloud-based, Mobile-enabled, Data-Driven Approach for Automatic Crop Disease Detection” http://www.agritechinchina.org/PC006
  6. “Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning, food security delivered through a mobile phone”,  https://bbsrc.ukri.org/documents/bbsrc-business-summer-2018-pdf/ 
  7. “Photo-powered app could help farmers diagnose crop diseases themselves”, Nov. 2017, https://www2.mmu.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/story/index.php?id=6643
  8. An invited talk at British LibraryLarge-scale data processing and data analytics on images (with applications to Health, Food)”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9ak1qUTPVE, 2015
  9. A public professorial lectureSurfing the data tsunami: paradigm for big data processing and analytics”, Manchester Metropolitan University, June 2014.
  10. KTP to create Smart city software” (Cost-effective IT system will aid urban flow), 2015, http://www2.mmu.ac.uk/research/news-events/news/3691/ktp-to-create-smar…
  11. “£10 million project explores “Internet of Things”, 2015, http://www2.mmu.ac.uk/research/news-events/news/4012/10-million-project…
  12. RESEARCH into disease-spotting software that detects glaucoma is being continued at the University after receiving extra funding”, 2015, http://www.staff.mmu.ac.uk/manmetlife/news/view/eye-disease-detection-s…
  13. Rooting out crop disease by computer: Software spots infection to defend harvest yields”, 2014, http://www.mmu.ac.uk/news/news-items/2666/   
  14. Looking to the Cloud(Big data research in the Cloud),Research Matter, pp.1, 2013, http://www.sci-eng.mmu.ac.uk/research_matters/winter_2013/
  15. Clear vision- Computational analysis will improve the speed and accuracy in detecting eye disease”, Research Matter, pp.8. 2012, http://www.sci-eng.mmu.ac.uk/research_matters/autumn_2012/
  16. Grant to develop software which can ‘see’ eye disease”, 2011 http://www.scmdt.mmu.ac.uk/news_and_events/news/news_view.asp?newsid=1610