Atefeh Termehchi

Researcher with 10+ years of combined research and industry engineering experience in machine learning, wireless communications, control theory, industrial cybersecurity, and industrial control systems. Postdoctoral fellow positions at the University of Manitoba and the University of Ottawa.

Industrial Cybersecurity

Researcher and Risk & Compliance Specialist at Industrial Cybersecurity Research Center, Tehran, Iran. Electrical and instrumentation engineer at Arkan Control Group (on behalf of Swedish company Rosemount Tank Gauging), Tehran, Iran.

Postdoctoral Fellow - University of Manitoba - Canada

(2024-04)

Supervised by Prof. Ekram Hossain

• Developed a consensus-aware distributed multi-agent DRL framework
• Developed theoretical generalization bounds and domain generalization methods for a family of recurrent neural networks (RNNs), targeting out-of-distribution robustness in real-world deployments
• Developed data-driven methods for out-of-distribution generalization analysis and theoretical generalization bounds of DRL agents
• Led the design of a science-informed deep learning framework for wireless systems
• Filed a patent application for domain-shift rejection methods in RNNs, enabling cybersecurity resilience in RNN-based industrial systems such as energy consumption forecasting in smart grids
• Developed a predictive physics-based beamforming control method for RIS-aided wireless communications; contributed to a related patent application
• Developed a consensus-aware co-design framework for multi-agent control systems and wireless resource allocation in next-generation networks

Postdoctoral Fellow - University of Ottawa - Canada

(2023-01 - 2024-03)

Supervised by Prof. Melike Erol-Kantarci. Research conducted in collaboration with Nokia Bell Labs, focusing on autonomous and safe deep learning models for next-generation UAV-aided wireless communications.

• Developed a distributed safe multi-agent DRL framework for UAV-aided wireless communications
• Developed a goal-oriented DRL method combining supervised learning for UAV-aided communications, improving network efficiency
• Development of a hierarchical DRL framework incorporating age of information freshness metrics for UAV trajectory planning in smart agriculture applications

Industrial Cybersecurity Researcher and Risk & Compliance Specialist - Industrial Cybersecurity Research Center - Iran

(2013-05 - 2019-12)

Selected Projects

• Developed cyber risk assessment software for industrial control systems (ICS), enabling automated vulnerability analysis and risk quantification
• Designed and commissioned a hardware-in-the-loop industrial cybersecurity testbed for testing, evaluation, and validation of cyberattack scenarios against ICS environments
• Designed and implemented an intrusion detection system (IDS) for the Modbus protocol, enhancing real-time threat detection in industrial networks
• Conducted cyber risk assessments for oil, gas, and power plants, identifying vulnerabilities and ensuring regulatory compliance
• Conducted research on security frameworks for next-generation industrial IoT systems, addressing emerging threats in connected industrial environments

Electrical and Instrumentation Engineer - Arkan Control Group - Iran

(2009-05 - 2010-12)

• Design, installation, and commissioning of Rosemount Tank Gauging systems for oil and gas plants

Ph.D.

• Information Technology Engineering - Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic) (2015-09 - 2022-02)

M.Sc.

• Electrical Engineering, Control Engineering - Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic) (2010-12 - 2013-02)

B.Sc.

• Electrical Engineering, Control Engineering - Shiraz University of Technology (2004-12 - 2008-08)