Profiles

Basem Shihada obtained his Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Waterloo, Canada, in 2007. Shortly after completing his studies, Shihada joined KAUST in 2008 as a founding faculty member. 

He is currently a professor of computer science in the Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division at KAUST.

His expertise lies in developing next-generation wireless systems, and he has made significant contributions across several domains, including intelligent wireless systems, wireless underwater systems, molecular communication systems, and non-terrestrial networks. One of Shihada’s most notable achievements is the creation and successful demonstration of Aqua-Fi, the world’s first underwater Wi-Fi system. This pioneering work marked a major breakthrough by enabling high-speed internet connectivity in aquatic environments.

His research, conducted in close collaboration with students and colleagues, has earned multiple best-paper awards at leading international conferences. Shihada's contributions have also appeared in top-tier journals, including Nature Electronics, IEEE Transactions on Communications, and IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications.

Intelligent wireless systems, wireless underwater systems, Internet of Things systems, molecular communication systems, and non-terrestrial systems are among Dr. Shihada's areas of interest.  

Osama Amin, Ph.D., SMIEEE, is a senior research scientist in the CEMSE Division at KAUST. His research examines next-generation communication networks, optical wireless communications, and bio-compatible communication systems. He studies methods to improve global connectivity, enhance the efficiency of communication technologies, and support emerging approaches for healthcare monitoring.

Amin’s work draws on a broad background in wireless communication, signal processing, and optimization. He received his bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering from Aswan University in 2000 and his master’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering from Assiut University in 2004. He earned his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Waterloo in 2010.

He joined the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department at Assiut University as an assistant professor in 2012 before moving to KAUST. At CEMSE, he continues to advance research in communication systems and signal processing with a particular emphasis on wireless applications and their future directions.

• Optical Wireless Communication
• Next Generation Wireless Networks
• Green Communication
• Bio-compatible Communication and Data Analysis
• Hyperloop Communication Network

Luyao Yang is a Ph.D. candidate in Computer Science at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) working in the Networking Research Lab (NETLAB) under Prof. Basem Shihada. She obtained her Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China and her Master's degree in Computer Science at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

Luyao's research interests focus on the intersection of emerging technologies, focusing on areas such as wearable computing in healthcare and sports.

Sahar Ammar is a Ph.D. candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). She holds an M.S. In Electrical and Computer Engineering from KAUST and a Diplôme d'ingénieur from École Polytechnique de Tunisie, and was a visiting researcher at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF). She has contributed to several projects on intelligent and energy-efficient communication systems across maritime, aerial, and optical wireless networks.

Sahar research studies involve developing RL-based solutions for network optimization, mobility management, and resource orchestration in 5G/6G systems. Additionally, she has refined her expertise in optical wireless communication, gained through earlier work on Sun-Fi, a novel green solution for indoor environments based on sunlight modulation. She is also interested in interdisciplinary collaborations and excited by opportunities to tackle real-world challenges and advance global connectivity.

• Optical wireless communication.
• Embedded systems.
• Hardware & software co-design.

Sahar Ammar is a Ph.D. candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). She holds an M.S. In Electrical and Computer Engineering from KAUST and a Diplôme d'ingénieur from École Polytechnique de Tunisie, and was a visiting researcher at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF). She has contributed to several projects on intelligent and energy-efficient communication systems across maritime, aerial, and optical wireless networks.

Sahar research studies involve developing RL-based solutions for network optimization, mobility management, and resource orchestration in 5G/6G systems. Additionally, she has refined her expertise in optical wireless communication, gained through earlier work on Sun-Fi, a novel green solution for indoor environments based on sunlight modulation. She is also interested in interdisciplinary collaborations and excited by opportunities to tackle real-world challenges and advance global connectivity.