Professor Glen Tian

PhD (University of Sydney), PhD (Zhejiang University)

Professor Yu-Chu Tian received the Ph.D. degree in computer and software engineering from the University of Sydney, Sydney NSW, Australia, in 2009, and the Ph.D. degree in industrial automation from Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, in 1993. He is currently a Professor with the School of Computer Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane QLD, Australia.

Prof Tian is listed in the Stanford worl's top 2% scientists. He has published two monographs and 300+ refereed research papers. His publications have been cited 9,000+ times in Google Scholar Citations with an h-index of 51 (as of 28 Aug 2024). His research interests include big data computing, cloud computing, computer networks, smart grid communication and control, networked control systems, cyber-physical security, AI and machine learning. The application areas of his research span power systems, medical big data, vehicular networks, and transport systems.

As the Chief Investigator, Professor Tian has secured over 20 research grants/projects of the total funds in excess of $6m, including 6 Australian Research Council (ARC) grants, 1 MRFF-TTRA (Medical Research Future Fund - Targeted Translation Research Accelerator) grant, 3 Australian Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) grants, 1 Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) international Linkage grant, and 1 ATN-DAAD Australian-Germany Collaborative Project Grant.

Professor Tian is the Editor-in-Chief for Handbook of Real-Time Computing (Springer). He is an Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, Information Sciences (Elsevier), and Asia-Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering (Wiley).

He has supervised 30+ Higher Degree Research (HDR) students to completion. He has also supervised and mentored 30+ postdocs and research fellows.

Professor Tian has worked in Zhejiang University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Curtin University, the University of Maryland at College Park, the University of Navarra (Spain), and currently Queensland University of Technology. He has been leading QUT's Big Data Lab and was the Leader of QUT's Networks and Communications Discipline.

Current Research Interests:

• Big data and distributed systems: big data computing, distributed computing, cloud computing
• Computer networks: real-time networks, wireless sensor networks, mobile networks, IoT, routing
• Smart grid: smart grid communication, smart grid control, energy system optimization
• Networked control systems
• Cyber-physical security.
• AI and machine learning: optimization, heuristics and meta-heuristics, evolutionary computation, AI/ML in medical applications

For Prospective PhD Students:

I supervise PhD students for research topics related to big data computing, cloud computing, computer networks, smart grid communications and control, optimization and machine learning, medical big data, and cyber-physical system security.

I do NOT supervise students on telecommunications, power systems, text mining, software engineering, cybersecurity, video and image processing, human-machine interaction, and eHealth.

Potential research areas for future PhD students:

1. Medical big data processing and machine learning from EEG signals, CT iamges, and MRI images for brain injury diagnosis and atheroma assessment;
2. Big data bioinformatics, particularly for the identification of the functions and characteristics of gene regulatory networks;
3. Topology and protocols (particularly routing) for smart grid communication in wide area networks (WANs), neighborhood area networks (NANs), and home area networks (HANs); and large-scale optimization for smart grid communication
4. Topology, protocols, and services for the connectivity of large-scale IoT networks in layer 2 and above; IoT-satellite communication networks;
5. Distributed computing of big data processing incorporating with evolutionary computing, machine learning, and other techniques;
6. Virtual and physical resource optimization in cloud computing, edge computing, task offloading, and their applications;
7. Networked control systems, IoT, and cyber-physical security.

Selected Research Grants:

1. ARC Discovery Grant DP220100580 ($490,000). 2022-2024. Mitigating the risks of cyberattacks on cyber-physical power systems. In partnership with A/Prof Fuwen Yang and Dr Yateendra Mishra.
2. MRFF-TTRA (Medical Research Future Fund - Targeted Translation Research Accelerator) Grant ($745,623). 2021-2023. Towards a diagnostic tool for atheroma assessment to better manage vulnerable patients. In partnership with Prof Zhiyong Li and Prof  Prasad Yarlagadda.
3. ACDICT - ALTA Grant ($10,000): Didital trail of ICT authentication assessments with blockchains. 2020-2021. In partnership with Dr Venkat Venkatachalam, Prof Raja Jurdak and Prof Wageeh Boles.
4. IMCRC grant ($1,927,900): Automated monitoring and analytics for geotechnical and structural performance using the Internet of GNSS Things. 201902022. In partnership with Prof Yanming Feng, who is the project leader.
5. Powerlink QLD Grant ($100,000): Root cause analysis of power system faults from multiple sources of big data. 2019-2021. In partnership with Dr Ghavameddin Nourbakhsh and Dr Maolin Tang.
6. CRC-SI Grant ($110,000): Demonstration of SBAS-enabled active mine vehicle tracking operations. 2017-2018. In partnership with Dr Charles Wong and Prof Y. Feng.
7. ARC Discovery Grant DP170103305 ($285,000): Cloud scheduling and management of energy systems with real-time support. 2017-2019. In partnership with Prof E. Kozan and Prof D. Yue.
8. ARC Discover Grant DP160102571 ($435,000): Control and communications for high value distributed storage. 2016-2018. In partnership with Prof G. Ledwich, Y. Mishra et al.
9. ATN-DAAD Australia-Germany International Collaborative Grant ($24,000): Securing real-time control for critical infracture systems.2015-2016. In partnership with Prof C. Fidge, Dr E Foo, Dr Y. Mishra, Dr V. Liu.
10. ARC Linkage Grant LP140100394 ($320,000):  An integrated mathematical approach to synchronise and optimise hospital operations. 2014-2017. In Partnership with Prof E. Kozan et al.
11. QUT FaST Capability Building Research Infrastructure Grant ($361,336): Big Data Lab - An Experimental Research Laboratory for Computer Science. 2011-2012. In partnership with Prof S. Geva, Prof Y. Li, Prof Y. Feng, Prof J. Hogan, Prof P. Roe, etc.
12. DEST International Science Linkage grant ($41,400): Coordinative optimization and real-time networked control of large groups of robots with applications in food processing (CH070083). 2008--2011.
13. AutoCRC grant ($510,000): Wireless communication standards framework (C3-10). 2008-2011. In partnership with Prof M. Looi and A/Prof Y. Feng.
14. NSFC (Natural Science Foundation of China) grant: Cross-layer control theory and applications of wireless networked control systems. 2008-2010. In partnership with Professor Y. Dong, et al., from Nanjing Normal University, P. R. China.
15. CIEAM CRC grant ($376,273): Multi-criteria asset decision support tool (MD301). 2006--2011, in Partnership with Professor C. Fidge, A/Prof L. Ma, et al.
16. ARC Discovery Grant DP05591111 ($223,000): Wavelet-based modelling and model predictive control of complex multidimensional crystallisation processes. 2005--2007, in partnership with Professor M.O. Tade.

Two Monographs:

• Yu-Chu Tian, Jing Gao. Network Analysis and Architecture. ISBN 978 981 99 5647 0. Springer, Oct 2023.
• Yu-Chu Tian, Tonghua Zhang, Hongmei Yao, Moses O. Tade. Computation of mathematical models for complex industrial processes. ISBN 978 981 4360 93 7. World Scientific, 2014.

Edited Book/s:

• Yu-Chu Tian, David C. Levy (Eds.). Handbook of Real-Time Computing, Vols. 1-2. ISBN 978-9812872500. Springer, 9 Aug 2022. DOI: 10.1007/978-981-4585-87-3

Projects (Chief investigator)

• Identification of root causes of false substation faults from the records in various data logs, and the assessment of false rates with Powerlink Queensland
• Optimising the Future Grid: Distributed Grid Architecture for Smarter Energy Systems

Additional information