Nik Kasabov

Qualification name: Institution: Date of Graduation:
PhD (Math. Sciences) Technical University, Sofia 07.04.1975
MSc (Applied Math.) Technical University, Sofia 30.09.1972
MSc (Comp. Science and Eng.) Technical University, Sofia 30.09.1971

Professional Affiliations/Memberships
RSNZ (Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand)
NZCS (Fellow of the New Zealand Computer Society)
IEEE (Senior Member, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers)
INNS (International Neural Network Society) – Member of the Board of Governors
APNNA (Asia-Pacific Neural Network Assembly) – Governing Board Member

Distinctions (e.g., prizes, scholarships, invited memberships, notable posts, honorary degrees):
International Neural Network Society, Member of the Board of Governors, since 2005.
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers), Computational Intelligence Society, Member of the Neural Networks Technical Committee, Chair Taskforce Adaptive Systems, since 2004
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers), Computational Intelligence Society, Member of the Intelligent Systems Applications Technical Committee, Chair Taskforce Biomedicine and Bioinformatics, since 2004
Best Paper Award, IEEE 2003 International Conference on Neural Networks & Signal Processing, Nanjing, China, December 2003.
Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, since 2001.
The Royal Society of New Zealand Silver Medal for Contribution to Science and Technology, 2001.
Senior Member of IEEE, since 2001.
Fellow of the New Zealand Computer Society, since 2001.
International Neural Network Society, Distinction, Washington DC, 1999.
New Zealand FRST Award for supervision of a PhD student (M. Laws), 1999.
Best paper award, The Fourteenth European Meeting on Cybernetics and System Research, University of Vienna, 04/1998.
President of the Asian Pacific Neural Network Assembly (APNNA), 1997-1998.
President-elect of the Asian Pacific Neural Network Assembly (APNNA), 1996-1997.
Vice-President of the Asian Pacific Neural Network Assembly (APNNA), 1995-96.
The New Zealand Representative on the IFIP (International Federation for Information Processing), Committee 12 for Artificial Intelligence, since 1997;
Chair of an IFIP sub-committee 12.2 “Data Mining and Machine Learning” (2002-2004).
NWO/SION (Dutch Organisation for Scientific/Computer Science) Research) Grant, University of Maastricht, The Netherlands, 1998.
Research Fellowship Grant, University of Twente, The Netherlands, 1998.
Prize for Invention with High Practical Applicability, National Institute of Inventions, Bulgaria, 1992.
Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship, University of Essex, United Kingdom, 1989/90.
Czechoslovakia, Research Fellowship, Institute of Cybernetics, Bratislava, 1987.
Research Fellowship, Research and Education Ministry, The Netherlands, 1984.

Languages (in addition to English)
Bulgarian, fluently written and spoken
Russian, written and spoken
German, limited
Italian, beginner

Employment History
(a) Present Position

Professor and Personal Chair, School of Computer and Information Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, since June 2002.
Founding Director, Knowledge Engineering and Discovery Research Institute, (www.kedri.info), Auckland University of Technology, since June 2002.

(b) Employment History

Professor and Personal Chair, Department of Information Science, University of Otago, 02/1999 – 06/2002.
Founding Director, Knowledge Engineering/Discovery Laboratory, University of Otago, 1994 – 2002 (http://kel.otago.ac.nz).
Associate Professor, Department of Information Science, 1996 to 1998.
Senior Lecturer, University of Otago/Department of Information Science, 1992 –1995.
Research Fellow and Senior Lecturer, University of Essex (UK)/Department of Computer Science, 1989 –1991.
Associate Professor, Technical University (TU) (Sofia)/Department of Computer Science, 1988 – 1989.
Director of International Graduate School in Artificial Intelligence, TU Sofia, 1988 – 1991.
Lecturer and Senior Lecturer, TU Sofia/ Department of Computer Science, 1978 – 1988.
Research Fellow, TU Sofia/Department of Computer Science, 1976 – 1978.

Other Relevant Experience
(a) Experience Working in Other Countries

Italy, Visiting Professor, University of Trento: March-April 2001; March-June 2000; March – May 1998.
The Netherlands, Visiting Research Fellow: University of Twente, 06/ 1998; University of Maastricht, 1-2/ 1998.
The UK, Leverhulme Trust Research Fellow, University of Essex, 1989-1990.
Czechoslovakia, Visiting Research Fellow, Institute of Cybernetics (Bratislava) 6-7/1987.
The Netherlands, Research Fellow, University of Delft, 2-7/ 1984.

(b) National/International Collaboration

Coordinator and programme leader of a collaborative research project “Connectionist-based intelligent information systems” funded by FRST and NERF with the participation of researchers from universities and industrial organisations in New Zealand: Auckland University of Technology, University of Auckland, Crown Research Institutes, Lincoln University, PEBL, PSL, Navman, Fonterra, Genesis R&D, ViaLactia and other organisations in NZ; since 1995.
Research associate and consultant, NZ Bio-protection CoRE - Centre of Research Excellence, Lincoln, since 2003
Director, NZ Bioinformatics Summer School, 2003 and 2004.
Executive Committee and Scientific Committee member, Berkeley International Institute for Systems and Computational Intelligence, BIISC, UC Berkeley, since 2005
Coordinator of SIG “Computational Intelligence in Bioinformatics” as part of BISC (Berkeley Initiative of Soft Computing), Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of California at Berkeley, USA, since July 2002.
Associate researcher, National Cancer Institute, National Institute for Health - NIH, Frederick, Washington DC, since May 2002.
Co-ordinator of exchange programmes, University of Twente and University of Maastrciht, The Netherlands, since 1998.
Co-ordinator of a research and teaching exchange agreement, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan, since 1996
RIKEN, Brain Science Institute, Japan, Collaboration on research projects, since 2001.
Founder of the Bionformatics Group, Technical University of Sofia – branch Plovdiv, Bulgaria, 2004
The International Consortium for Speech Translation Advanced Research, C-STAR II, Affiliate member, 1996-1999.

Research Activities
(a) Research Expertise

Information Sciences
Artificial Intelligence (Neural Networks, Fuzzy systems, Evolutionary Computation)
Knowledge Engineering
Bioinformatics
Brain-like computing and neuroinformatics
Signal, Speech and Image Processing
Parallel Computer Systems

(b) Experience in Applied R & D, contract research, consultancies, patents

Co-founder and Chief information scientist of Pacific Edge Biotechnology Ltd, www.pebl.co.nz, established in 2001, based in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Founder of Knowledge Engineering Consulting Ltd., www.keconsult.com, established 2001.
Consultant: PEBL (since 2000); ViaLactia Biosciences, Auckland; FONTERRA, Auckland; Genesis Res. and Dev., Auckland; Waste Solutions Ltd, Dunedin (1994-2001); Hort Research (since 1996); Steel Manufacturing Company Kremikovtsi, Sofia, Bulgaria (1988 - 1992); Institute for Agricultural Research, Plovdiv, Bulgaria (1987-89); Medical Academy, Sofia, Bulgaria (1987-88).
Patents – total 25: 6 New Zealand (4 PCTs; two preliminary patent applications), .2 USA, 1 UK, 1 France, 1 Germany, 1 Russia, 1 Czechoslovakia, 13 Bulgaria,

(c) Research Grants

Last 10 years

(1) Principal or joint principal researcher

2002/2005, NERF, Connectionist-Based Intelligent Information Systems, $360,000 p.a., 1.07.02 - 1.07.2006
2002/2005, HRC, Predicting colorectal cancer outcome using gene expression profiling, $300,000 pa
2002/2004, Cancer Society of NZ, Neuroblastoma treatment prediction and classification systems, $80,000pa
2003/2004, Fonterra, Evaluation of evolving connectionist techniques and their applications, $55,000
2004, ViaLactia Biosciences, NZ herd phenotype quality analysis, $75,000.
2001, University of Otago, Connectionist-Based Information Systems, Emerging Theme Research, $20,000, 01.01.01 – 01.01.02
2000, University of Otago, Connectionist-Based Information Systems, Emerging Theme Research, $20,000, 01.01.00 – 01.01.01
1999, University of Otago, Connectionist-Based Information Systems, Emerging Theme Research, $15,000 01.01.99 – 01.01.00
1998/2002, FRST and NERF, Connectionist-Based Intelligent Information Systems, $360,000 p.a., 1.07.98 - 1.07.2002
1996/98, FRST UOO-606, Connectionist-Based Information Systems, $385,000 p.a., 1.07.96-1.07.98
1995/98, FRST UOO-509, Spatial Analysis Systems and Management, $303,000 p.a., 30.10.95- 30.10.98
1997/98, University of Otago, Connectionist Based Information Systems, Emerging Research Theme, $15,000, 1.07.97-1.07.98
1998/99, Otago Research Grant, Adaptive neuro-fuzzy methods in pharmaceutical sciences, $30,000,1.7.98 - 1.7.99
1997/98, Otago Research Grant, Neuro-fuzzy methods in pharmaceutical sciences, $35,000,1.7.97 - 1.7.98
1995, Otago Research Grant, Methods and Tools for Building Adaptable Speech Interfaces to Standard and Fuzzy Databases, $25,193, 1.1.95-30.11.95
1995-1997, Waste Solutions Ltd, Neuro-Fuzzy Control, $20,000, 1.7.95-31.12.96
1994/95, FRST, Development of a Spatial Analysis Tool Box, $57,000, 30.10.94-30.10.95
1994, TELECOM New Zealand Ltd, Automatic Speech Recognition, $24,500, 1.5.94-31.12.94
1994, Departmental Research Grant, A Software Environment for Building Fuzzy Connectionist Production Systems - FuzzyCOPE, $10,000, 30.5.94-28.2.95

(2) Contributing researcher:

2005-2008, NERF, SCOPE – Predicting abnormalities in pregnancy (Program leader - Assoc.Prof. Robyn North, University of Auckland), 1.5 mln pa
999/2001, Policy problems and policy options under alternative monetary regimes, with special reference to Italy in the EMU, University of Trento, Italy, IL700 mln, with Prof. Axel Bengt, Prof. M.Fedrizzi and Prof. L.Erzegovesi.
1998/2000, FRST, Biological Orchard Production Systems, appr.$200,000 p.a., 1.7.1998 - 1.7.2002, Dr. H.Wearing, HortResearch
1998/2002, FRST, Distributed Information Systems, appr.$350,000 p.a., 1.01.98- 31.12.2002, Dr. M. Purvis
1998/2002, FRST, Spatial Analysis Systems and Management, appr.$100,000 p.a., 1.10.1998 - 1.10.2002, A/Prof. G.Benwell.

Prior to the Last 10 Years

Principal researcher of projects funded by the Bulgarian Ministry of Science and Technology (BMST): Parallel processing systems (1989-1991); Expert systems for agricultural applications (1988-91); Expert systems for planning and decision making (1988-1991); Intelligent tutoring systems (1987-1989); The design and the implementation of GESMI- an expert system shell (1985-87).
Principal researcher of projects funded by the Bulgarian National Institute of Inventions: Stack memory device (1985-87); Multi-register memory systems (1984-1986).
Principal researcher of academic and industrial projects in Bulgaria (1974-1988): Multi-microprocessor systems for the Metallurgy Industry (1984-1988); Bubble-domain memories for computer systems (1984-86); Performance evaluation of computer systems (1978-1980); Information systems for financial operations in the Kazanluk textile industry (1974-1975).

(d) Supervision of Postgraduate Students

Completed in the last 10 Years

PhD, Evolving connectionist systems, Michael Watts, University of Otago, 1999-2004
PhD, Connectionist-based adaptive expert systems and image analysis in horticulture, Brendon Woodford, University of Otago, 1999-2004
PhD, Microarray Gene Expression Data Analysis and Knowledge Discovery, Matthias Futschik, University of Otago, NZ, 2000-2003.
PhD, Signal processing and acoustic modelling for speech recognition systems, Waleed Abdulla, University of Otago, 1998-2002.
PhD, Evolving connectionist systems for dynamic modelling, Q.Song, University of Otago, 1998-2002.
PhD, Maori language integration in the age of information technology: computational approach, Mark Laws, University of Otago, 1998 -2002.
PhD, Connectionist systems for speech recognition, R.Kilgour, University of Otago 1997-2001.
PhD, Neuro-fuzzy techniques for intelligent systems, J. Kim, University of Otago, 1996-1999
PhD, Probabilistic-connectionist processing to improve image pattern recognition, S. Israel, University of Otago, 1995-1999
PhD, Connectionist production systems, TU, Sofia, Bulgaria, S.Shishkov, 1990-1994
PhD, Denotation semantics for AI, TU, Sofia, Bulgaria, N.Nikolaev, 1990-1994
MPhil, Production systems on associative memories, T. Lin, University of Essex, 1990-92.

MSc, Andreas Magusin, Bi-clustering in bioinformatics, Auckland University of Technology, 2003-04
MSc, On-line decision support systems in bioinformatics, M.Middlemiss, University of Otago, 2001.
MSc, A Bilingual speech interface for New Zealand English to Maori, M. Laws, University of Otago, 2001
MSc, Hybrid systems and neural networks for speech recognition, R.Kilgour, University of Otago, 1994 -1996.
MCom, Intelligent systems for control, M.Bailey, 1997
MCom, S.Sinclair, Multi-modular speech recognition systems, University of Otago, 1997
MSc, Speech recognition and neural networks, TU Sofia, D. Nikovski, 1992.
MSc, Hybrid system COPE, TU Sofia, Bulgaria, C. Neshev, 1992.
MSc, Machine learning, TU Sofia, Bulgaria, S. Petrova, 1992.
MSc, FLIPS Fuzzy Expert System, TU Sofia, Bulgaria, T.Dekova, 1992.
MSc, Neural networks for game simulation, TU Sofia, Bulgaria, P. Kalinkov, 1992.
MSc, L. Chen, Simulation of CLIPS on associative computer memory, University of Essex, 1990.
MSc, C. Tan, Template-based learning, University of Essex, 1990-1991.

Currently supervising PhD students:

A.Vesma, Personalised decision making based on gene data, AUT, since 2005
V.Jain, System biology – data analysis, modelling and knowledge discovery, since 2005
S.Wysosky, Brain like speech and image integration methods and systems, AUT, since 2005
Maggie Ma, Evolving connectionist systems for decision support in medical prognosis, NZ Top Achiever Doctoral Scholarship TAD, AUT, since 2004
Paulo Gottgtroy, Methodology and a framework for ontology building on the case study of biological and medical data, TAD, AUT, since 2002.
Liang Goh, Data integration and modelling in Bioinformatics, AUT, since 2002.
David Zhang, Integrating speech and image signals in intelligent systems, AUT, since 2002
Boris Bacic, Connectionist and hybrid methods for video data analysis, AUT, since 2003.
Snejana Soltic, Intelligent Decision Support systems and image data analysis, AUT, since 2003.
Si Eng, Intelligent business decision support systems, AUT, since 2003.
David Parry, On-line intelligent data mining for medical data, AUT, since 2000.
N.Mohan, Transductive reasoning and personalised modelling, MSc, since 2005
C.Cameron-Brown, Sleep learning, MPhil, since 2005
Akbar Ghobakhlou, PhD Adaptive Speech Recognition Systems, University of Otago, since 1999.
Jay Swope, Modelling of bio-medical time series, University of Otrago, since 1998.

Prior to the Last 10 Years

Supervised 43 successful MSc dissertations (1977-1990), Technical University of Sofia, Department of Computer Science.
Supervised 5 successful postgraduate diplomas in Artificial Intelligence, International Graduate School of AI, technical University of Sofia (1988 -1991).

Teaching activities
Introduced and taught the following academic courses:

Evolving connectionist systems (Qualification level), Singapore, Malaysia, 2002,2003 and 2004.
Data mining and knowledge engineering, (Masters level), Auckland University of Technology, NZ, 2003
Bioinformatics, (Masters level), Auckland University of Technology, 2004
Data, information and knowledge (Undergraduate level), University of Otago, NZ, 2001
Intelligent systems (Undergraduate level), University of Otago, NZ, 1993
Neural networks and fuzzy systems, 1993, (postgraduate level) University of Otago, NZ (The course was re-named to “Advanced knowledge engineering” in 1999)
Programming techniques, (Undergraduate level), 2000-2001, University of Essex, UK
Expert systems (Postgraduate level), 1984, Technical University of Sofia, Bulgaria
Parallel processing (Postgraduate level), 1984, Technical University of Sofia, Bulgaria
Analysis and synthesis of algorithms, (Undergraduate level), 1980, Technical University of Sofia, Bulgaria
Computing (Undergraduate level), 1978, Technical University of Sofia, Bulgaria