High Impact Thesis: Recent Episodes
NTU WOW
The High Impact Thesis Podcast is a platform that hosts PhD students, Researchers, and Professors, from Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore), to talk about their research and share their work experience. Brought to you by NTU World of Wisdom with hosts: Ahmed Hussein, Christopher Luwanga, and Mohammed Ibrahim.
Lin Shicong (Vera) is a PhD candidate from the School of Humanities at Nanyang Technological University. Her research focused on children's literature and picturebooks, exploring early literacy, narratology, and book art. Specifically, she investigated how unconventional picturebooks, such as pop-up books and those with special materials or bindings, stimulate children's multisensory learning through the physicality of the book. Vera's approach involved collecting and categorizing novelty books from the global children's book market to examine their narrative devices. Apart from her PhD journey, she also discussed the challenges in understanding children's learning experiences in the digital era and their long-term impacts. Outside of her research, Vera shared her involvement with the TEDx community and her enjoyment of various sports. Join our discussion of Vera's journey throughout her PhD.
Dr Malik was a PhD candidate from the school of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at NTU. His research was on developing a high-performance Raman spectrometer using the less explored Raman excitation spectroscopy technique. This improved spectrometer essentially flips the operation of the excitation and detection modules for greater flexibility and optimization on both sides compared to conventional systems. Apart from his PhD journey, he also talks about his time as a host of this podcast and his interest with rock-climbing and generally staying fit.
Dr. Chan Wen Kiat is a PhD graduate from the School of Chemistry, Chemical and Biotechnology Engineering (CCEB). Dive deep into his groundbreaking research on perovskite superstructures and heterostructures for enhanced optical performance. Discover how his innovative work on hybrid perovskite materials and LnNP@perovskite heterostructures is paving the way for the next generation of high-efficiency solar cells and display technologies. Plus, get a glimpse into Dr. Wen Kiat's personal journey and perspective on the technology translation journey. Tune in for an episode that blends cutting-edge science with an inspiring personal narrative – it's one you won't want to miss!
Pak Hui Ying is a PhD candidate from the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI), which is part of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Programme. With prior experience in water monitoring, her current research work delves on water turbidity monitoring using hyperspectral imagers mounted on drones. She discusses with us the practical issues of conducting field experiments in large water bodies, a necessary part of her prior and current research works. She also talks about several other topics including the sharing of research data to the public, “mental” blocks where new research ideas are difficult to materialize and methods to maintain work-life balance.
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Ahmed Hussein graduated with a PhD from the school of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE). He talks to us about the need and development of power converters that use multi-level switches that can convert power with several inputs and outputs in the same package at lower cost. He discusses factors such as circuit optimization, minimizing losses, and boosting power. We also go over the inception of this podcast and how to start your own successful student initiative with the school's support.
Follow the HIT Podcast on twitter @wowhitpod Reach out to the HIT Podcast Team on: hitpod.wow@gmail.com
Dr. Christoper Luwanga is a PhD graduate from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) and one of the founders of HIT podcast. Embark on a cosmic journey with Dr. Christopher Luwanga' research in space weather and ionosphere irregularity modeling. Discover how his work with machine learning is shaping the future of satellite communications. Plus, delve into Dr. Luwanga's personal journey and his mission to unveil the 'why' behind PhD research of students that translated into the HIT podcast. Tune in for a captivating blend of science and storytelling – it's an episode you won't want to miss!
Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, a PhD graduate from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE), shares his research journey focused on enhancing the performance and efficiency of perovskite solar cells. Through innovative device modifications and optimizations, he strived to push the boundaries of solar cell technology. Additionally, Dr. Ibrahim discusses his novel approach to characterizing losses in these solar cells, offering valuable insights into the bottlenecks limiting their performance. Join us as we delve into the fascinating world of solar energy research with Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, who also reflects on his experience as one of the original founders of this podcast.
Hasnain graduated with a PhD from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE). He talks to us about building machine learning models from past airport traffic data to minimize delays in real-time. He also discusses the challenges and hesitance in the adoption of such tools. We also gain some insight into his experience finding a higher purpose while doing research.
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Jwala graduated with a PhD from the School of Computer Science and Engineering (SCSE). She talks to us about assessing Natural Language Processing (NLP) models that specialize in translation between different languages, compiling useful datasets for training, and some of the current pitfalls. She also shares her experience learning different languages from shows, books, and apps.
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Gopi is a post-doctoral researcher at the school of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE). She was a PhD student from the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program @ NTU (IGP), working on using microbes to de-stain water contaminated by fabric dyes. She also talks about her time at NTU's Toastmasters chapter and her unique experience representing Singapore in Google's Connect Live (2019) event for her contributions to their Maps platform.
Alvin Chua Sern Hao is a Ph.D. candidiate at the School of Humanities (SOH) at NTU. He studies earthenwares from different archaeological sites in
Southeast Asia. In this episode he talks to us about the history of ceramics in the region, where are they found, what were they used for, and how they spread from one area to another.
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Syed is a Ph.D. student at Nanyang Technological University's School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (CCEB - formerly SCBE). He talks to us about his research into carbon capture technology, what it can do to mitigate emissions, and how far it is from large scale implementation. He also shares his experience working with TEDxNTU and being a residential mentor.
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Aditi is a Ph.D. student at Nanyang Technological University's School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE). She talks to us about her research into Reserve Power Point Tracking, a novel and superior algorithm that enables optimal power extraction from solar arrays.
Bernardo is a Ph.D. student at the Robotics Research Centre in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) in NTU. In this episode he talks to us about his research on the design of compliant upper limb exoskeletons. He also discusses some of the challenges of rehabilitation and how they can be circumvented.
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Reach out to the HIT Podcast Team on: hitpod.wow@gmail.com
Anik Naha Biswas is a Ph.D. student at the School Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) at NTU. He works on weather prediction forecast and focuses on rainfall forecast. In this episode, Anik talks to us about the techniques and challenges involved in GPS sattelite forecast and the future of this research.
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Reach out to the HIT Podcast Team on: hitpod.wow@gmail.com
Nandish Chattopadhyay is a Ph.D. student at the School Computer Science and Engineering (SCSE) at NTU. In this episode, he talks to us about his work on machine learning models security and robustness. He highlights the importance of secure, reliable, and resilient machine learning algorithms that are integrated in autonomous driving systems, personal computing devices, and healthcare data bases.
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Reach out to the HIT Podcast Team on: hitpod.wow@gmail.com
Rajat Bandejiya is a Project Officer doing research at NTU. In this episode, he talks to us about his work on monitoring the health of civil structures with the use of optical strain sensors and optimizing their performance. He also shares some insight on filing patents for research work as well as the environmental factors that drive research like his.
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Reach out to the HIT Podcast Team on: hitpod.wow@gmail.com
Ruchi Choudhary is a Ph.D. student at the school of biological sciences (SBS) at NTU. In this episode, she talks to us about her work in epigenetic changes associated with cancer where she focuses on currently characterizing the interplay between super enhancers and chromatin interactions.
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Reach out to the HIT Podcast Team on: hitpod.wow@gmail.com
Mohamed Ragab is a Ph.D. student at the school of computer science and engineering (SCSE) at NTU. In this episode, he talks to us about his research on AI guided predictive maintenance of rotating machines and it's potential advantages. He also talks about some of the practical challenges of applying machine learning in real world scenarios and discuss some of the future directions of AI and machine learning.
Shilpa Manandhar is a researcher at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore. In this episode she talks to us about her research on using GPS satellites and signals for rainfall prediction. She also talks about the working principle behind this approach and some of it's advantages. Additionally, She also speaks about her current work on maintaining the atomic clocks that are used for global time keeping (UTC-coordinated universal time) and the importance of that for various sectors.
Kashyapa Naren Athreyas is a Post-doc at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) in NTU. In this episode, he talks to us about his research on developing control systems for satellites. He also shares some of the challenges involved in controlling the orientation of satellites in outer space and discuss some of the methods that can be used to overcome them.
Elinor Meredith is a Ph.D. student at the Earth Observatory of Singapore in NTU. In this episode, she talks to us about her research on predicting the hazards and impacts of volcanic eruptions and lava flows and how it may affect the communities living nearby. She also shares some of the common methods by which data is collected, such as satellite imagery, field visits and historical reports from past volcanic eruptions.
Rohit Behera is a Ph.D. student at the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at NTU. In this episode he talks to us about his
research on developing ceramic composites and structures that take inspiration from the biological world, he also talks about the approach
he uses to make ceramics magnetically responsive and how that can be helpful in developing structures with certain properties using magnetic fields.
Krishnan U Ambikakumari Sanalkumar is a Ph.D. student at the School of Civil Engineering at NTU. He speaks to us about his research on self sensing concrete and sustainable construction materials. We also talk about their possible future adoption in various applications and discuss some interesting construction technologies.
Shravan Kalyankar is a Ph.D. student at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering in NTU. In this episode he talks to us about
his research on improving the reliability of the wireless communication systems used in for train localization and traffic management. We also
talk about some of the possible challenges faced in this area and the ways to overcome them.
See Wee is a Ph.D. student at School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at NTU. In this episode he speaks to us about his research on engineering MXenes (a class of 2D materials) for electromagnetic shielding applications. He also talks about the other potential applications of MXenes as well as their limitations.
David Berend is a Ph.D. student at the School of Computer Science and Engineering at NTU. He speaks to us about his research on Artificial Intelligence standards for safety critical areas, such as cyber security, health care and others human centric applications. We also talk about some of the possible biases that can be present in Artificial Intelligence models and their data sets.
Mahdi Esfahani is a Ph.D. student at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering in NTU. In this episode he talks to us about his research on making robots intelligent and some of the strategies to accomplish that. We also talk about the future of robotics, and discuss how some of the natural processes that occur in the brain such as "neurogenesis" may provide inspiration for developing artificial intelligence.
Parikshit Pareek is a Ph.D. student at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering in NTU. He talks to us about his research on "the world's largest machine"-the electric grid. He talks about the challenges he faced while working on Power Grid, Power Systems, and Power Flow problems and the value of interdisciplinary approach in tackling those challenges.
Hicret Atilgan is a Ph.D. student at the School of Social Sciences in NTU. She speaks with us about her research on brain neuroplasticity and some of the methods used in studying brain functions.
Rishabh Gupta is a Ph.D. student at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering in NTU. He talks with us about his research on spatial audio engineering and psychoacoustics. We also cover some applications of sound engineering in virtual reality, augmented reality and other consumer audio products.
Anna Korsakova is a Ph.D. student at the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences in NTU. She speaks with us about her research on DNA/RNA nanopore sequencing and the prediction of gene splicing through machine learning, we also discuss some interesting aspects and applications of genetic engineering.
Sarthak Srivastava is a Ph.D. student at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering in NTU. He shares with us about his research on Gravity Waves and the various lessons he learned during his Ph.D. journey.
Mahasweta Paul is a Ph.D. student at the School of Chemical and Biological Engineering in NTU. She speaks to us about her research in Pulmonary Drug Delivery and her alternative approach in treating Parkinson's disease patients.