CV

SUMMARY

I am a researcher with substantial experience in designing and implementing AI-based computer vision solutions for a wide range of applications. Throughout the years, I have developed capabilities to undertake research from conception to write-up and disseminate my findings in journals and conferences. My work has received recognition awards in national and international conferences. I have experience in project proposal and progress report writing.

EDUCATION

Chosun University | South Korea
Ph.D. Computer Engineering | August 2023

• Thesis title: A cryptographic approach towards privacy-preserving image data transmission, storage and computation
  Advisor: Prof. Seokjoo Shin
• Received BK21 Plus Fellowship from National Research Foundation of Korea
• Research Assistant and Excellent Student Scholarships from Chosun University

Chosun University | South Korea
M.S. in Computer Engineering | 2018

• Thesis title: Study of edge detection with color-to-grayscale algorithms
  Advisor: Prof. Seokjoo Shin
• Received BK21 Fellowship from National Research Foundation of Korea
• Research Assistant and Excellent Student Scholarships from Chosun University

University of Peshawar | Pakistan
B.S. in Computer Science | 2015

• Thesis title: Robot cognition
  Advisor: Ms. Fatima Tuz Zuhra (Assistant Professor)
• Prime minister award (top 10 of the class)

RESEARCH & PROJECT MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE

Chosun University | South Korea
Researcher | Sep 2023 to present

• Supervisor: Prof. Seokjoo Shin
  Topic: Privacy-Preserving Deep Learning via Perceptual Encryption

Chosun University | South Korea
P.h.D., Researcher | Sep 2018 to Aug 2023

• Supervisor: Prof. Seokjoo Shin
  Topic: An end-to-end image communication system for availing third party owned resources to develop AI-based solutions in privacy-preserving domain
• Developed novel techniques for image encryption and compression to preserve user privacy during data transmission, storage and DL-based computations
• Developed novel Image Quality Assessment metric to quantify perceptual distortions with respect to downstream DL model performance
• Developed novel noise-based augmentation method to mitigate compression artifacts impact on DL model performance
• Published 4 journal papers, 27 conference papers and 1 patent (applied)
• Aided principal investigator with research projects and administrative tasks
• Received Research Fund from Chosun University (2022 & 2020)
• Received Basic Science Research Program Funding

Chosun University | South Korea
Graduate Researcher | Sep 2017 to Aug 2018

• Supervisor: Prof. Seokjoo Shin
  Topic: Image processing and computer vision applications
• Assessed the impact of color to grayscale conversion algorithms on edge detectors
• Developed novel edge map quality assessment metric
• Published 1 journal and 2 conference papers
• Aided principal investigator with research projects and administrative tasks
• Received Basic Science Research Program Funding

Chosun University | South Korea
Graduate Researcher | Sep 2016 to Aug 2017

• Supervisor: Prof. Inkyu Moon
  Topic: Double random phase encoding for image encryption
• Published 1 conference paper

Chosun University | South Korea
Project Manager

• Responsibilities: Project proposal preparation, Yearly progress report, Software installation and Server configuration
• Acquired high performance computational resources from NIPA, Korea for consecutive 3 years
• Handled List of Projects
  • Jan 2023 to present
    Development of privacy-preserving deep learning-based image classification systems using both private and publicly available image datasets
  • Jan 2022 to Dec 2022
    Fine-tuning pre-trained deep learning color models for medical image analysis
  • Apr 2021 to Dec 2021
    Development of object recognition system for smart cities and Internet of Multimedia Things

SKILLS

• Image Processing, Computer Vision, Image Compression, and Image Encryption
  • Foundational Algorithms; Image Quality Assessment; Lossless and Lossy Compression; Number Theory, Chaos Theory and Perceptual Encryption
• Deep Learning and Machine Learning
  • Algorithms: Supervised and Unsupervised Learning, Transfer Learning, and Privacy-Preserving AI
  • Applications: Natural and Medical Image Analysis
• Programming Languages
  • MATLAB, Python, Tensorflow, Keras
  • Familiar with: C, C++, and Java
• Communication, Presentation, Project Management, Team Leading, and Collaboration Skills

PUBLICATIONS, PRESENTATIONS & PATENTS

Journals

• I. Ahmad, W. Choi and S. Shin, "Comprehensive Analysis of Compressible Perceptual Encryption Methods—Compression and Encryption Perspectives", Sensors, vol. 23, no. 8, p. 4057, Apr. 2023. 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin,"IIB–CPE: Inter and Intra Block Processing-Based Compressible Perceptual Encryption Method for Privacy-Preserving Deep Learning", Sensors, vol. 22, no. 20, p. 8074, Oct. 2022. 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, "A Perceptual Encryption-Based Image Communication System for Deep Learning-Based Tuberculosis Diagnosis Using Healthcare Cloud Services", Electronics, vol. 11, no. 16, p. 2514, Aug. 2022. 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, "A Novel Hybrid Image Encryption–Compression Scheme by Combining Chaos Theory and Number Theory", Signal Processing: Image Communication, vol. 98, p. 116418, Oct. 2021. 📖

Patents

• Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0174309, “Apparatus and Method for Encrypting and Compressing Image” (filing date 08/12/2021)

International Conferences

• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “Deep Learning-based Image Quality Assessment Metric for Quantifying Perceptual Distortions in Transmitted Images", IEEE International Symposium on Communications and Information Technologies (ISCIT): Oct 2023. (Accepted) 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “Noise-cuts-Noise Approach for Mitigating the JPEG Distortions in Deep Learning”, IEEE International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Information and Communication (ICAIIC): 221–226, Feb. 2023. (Oral Presentation) 📖
• N. Islam, I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “Robustness of Deep Learning enabled IoT Applications Utilizing Higher Order QAM in OFDM Image Communication System”, IEEE International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Information and Communication (ICAIIC): 630–635, Feb. 2023. (Oral Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “Perceptual Encryption-based Privacy-Preserving Deep Learning for Medical Image Analysis”, IEEE International Conference on Information Networking (ICOIN): 224–229, Jan. 2023.[BEST PAPER AWARD] (Oral Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad, N. Islam and S. Shin, ”Performance Analysis of Cloud-based Deep Learning Models on Images Recovered without Channel Correction in OFDM System”, IEEE Asia Pacific Conference on Communication (APCC): 255-259, Oct. 2022. (Oral Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “Perceptual Encryption-based Privacy-Preserving Deep Learning in Internet of Things Applications”, IEEE International Conference on Information and Communication Technology Convergence (ICTC): 1817–1822, Oct. 2022. (Oral Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “Quantitative Assessment of the Impact of Lossy JPEG Compression on Deep Learning Models”, KINGPC International Conference on Next Generation Computing (ICNGC): 249-252, Oct. 2022. (Poster Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad, E. Kim, S. Hwang and S. Shin, “Privacy-Preserving Surveillance for Smart Cities”, IEEE International Conference on Ubiquitous and Future Networks (ICUFN): 301-306, Jul. 2022. (Oral Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad, S. Hwang and S. Shin, “Determining Jigsaw Puzzle State from an Image based on Deep Learning”, IEEE International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Information and Communication (ICAIIC): 030–032, Feb. 2022. (Oral Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “Encryption-then-Compression System for Cloud-based Medical Image Services”, IEEE International Conference on Information Networking (ICOIN): 30–33, Jan. 2022. [BEST PAPER AWARD] (Oral Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “Fine-Tuning Pre-Trained Deep Learning Models for Multiclass Grayscale Images Classification”, KINGPC International Conference on Next Generation Computing (ICNGC): 244-246, Nov. 2021. (Poster Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin,” An Approach to Run Pre-Trained Deep Learning Models on Grayscale Images”, IEEE International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Information and Communication (ICAIIC): 177–180, Apr. 2021. (Oral Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “Region-based Selective Compression and Selective Encryption of Medical Images”, ACM International Conference on Smart Media and Applications (SMA): 34–38, Sep. 2020. [BEST PAPER AWARD] (Oral Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad, B. Lee and S. Shin, “Analysis of Chinese Remainder Theorem for Data Compression”, IEEE International Conference on Information Networking (ICOIN): 634–636, Jan. 2020. (Poster Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “Just-Noticeable-Difference Based Edge Map Quality Measure”, KINGPC International Conference on Next Generation Computing (ICNGC): Dec 20-22, 2018.[BEST POSTER AWARD] (Poster Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad, I. Moon and S. Shin, “Color-to-grayscale algorithms effect on edge detection—A comparative study”, IEEE International Conference on Electronics, Information, and Communication (ICEIC): 1-4, Jan. 2018. (Poster Presentation) 📖

National Conferences

• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “Chroma Subsampling for Sub-block-based Perceptual Encryption Algorithms”, KICS Fall Conference (추계종합학술발표회): Nov. 2023. (Submitted)
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “Deep Joint Source-Channel Coding for Medical Image Transmission”, KICS Korea Artificial Intelligence Conference (한국 인공지능 학술대회): 449-450, Sep. 2023. (Oral Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “Convolutional Autoencoder for Image Quality Assessment”, KICS Summer Conference (하계종합학술발표회) Jun. 2023. (Oral Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “Leveraging Transfer Learning in EfficientNetV2-based Tuberculosis Detection”, KICS Fall Conference (추계종합학술발표회): 458-459, Nov. 2022. (Oral Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “A Comparison of EfficientNets for Tuberculosis Detection in Chest Radiographs”, KICS Korea Artificial Intelligence Conference (한국 인공지능 학술대회): 126-127, Sep. 2022. (Oral Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad, N. Islam, E. Kim and S. Shin, “Performance Analysis of Cloud based Deep Learning Models in OFDM based Image Communication system”, KICS Summer Conference (하계종합학술발표회): 0500-0501, Jun. 2022. (Oral Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “Block-based Perceptual Encryption Algorithm with Improved Color Components Scrambling”, KINGPC Spring Conference (춘계학술대회): 155-158, May. 2022. (Oral Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “A Pixel-based Encryption Method for Privacy-Preserving Deep Learning Models”, KICS Winter Conference (동계종합학술발표회): 549-551, Feb. 2022. (Oral Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “Optimal Batch Size for Fine-Tuning Pre-Trained Deep Learning Models”, KICS Korea Artificial Intelligence Conference (한국 인공지능 학술대회): 203-205, Sep. 2021. (Oral Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “Effect of Inter and Intra Block-level Shuffling on the JPEG Compression Performance”, 한국정보과학회 Summer Workshop on Computer Communication (하계 컴퓨터통신 워크샵): 45-48, Aug. 2021. (Oral Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “Optimal Resolution Selection to Run Pre-Trained Deep Learning Models on Tiny Images”, KINGPC Spring Conference (춘계학술대회): 293-295, May. 2021. [BEST POSTER AWARD] (Poster Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “Data Rate of End-to-End Learning of Communication Systems A Survey”, KINGPC Summer Conference(하계학술대회): 1-4, Aug. 2020. (Oral Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “Performance analysis of Chinese Remainder Theorem for Data Compression”, 한국정보과학회 Korean Computing Conference (한국컴퓨터종합학술대회): 1101-1103, Jul. 2020. (Oral Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “Channel Model for End-to-End Learning of Communications Systems: A Survey”, KISM Spring Conference (한국스마트미디어학회 춘계학술대회): 209-212, May. 2020. (Oral Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad and S. Shin, “Analysis of Chinese Remainder Theorem Moduli for Image Compression”, KICS Fall Conference(추계종합학술발표회): 108-109, Nov. 2019. (Oral Presentation) 📖
• I. Ahmad, N. Sahar and S. Shin, “Algorithmic Design of Korean Dancheong Patterns”, KISM Workshop on Convergent and Smart Media Systems (융합∙스마트미디어시스템 워크샵): 35-38, Jan. 2019. (Oral Presentation) 📖

INVITED TALKS

University of the Philippines | Virtual

Invited lecturer for Introduction to Transfer Learning | Jun 2021

‘How to fine-tune pre-trained deep learning color image models for medical image analysis’

AWARDS

• 2023 Best Paper Award, IEEE ICOIN
• 2022 Best Paper Award, IEEE ICOIN
• 2021 Best Poster Award, KINGPC Spring Conference
• 2020 Best Paper Award, ACM SMA Conference
• 2018 Best Poster Award, KINGPC ICNGC
• 2017 Best Paper Award, KINGPC ICNGC

SERVICES

Journal Reviewers

• Springer Artificial Intelligence Review 🏠
• Elsevier Journal of King Saud University - Computer and Information Sciences (JKSUCIS) 🏠
• Elsevier Cyber Security and Applications (CSA) 🏠
• Bentham Science Current Medical Imaging (CMIM) 🏠

Technical Program Committee Member / Conference Reviewers

• IEEE International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Information and Communication (ICAIIC) 2021-2023 🏠
• IEEE International Conference on Information Networking (ICOIN) 2022-2023 🏠
• IEEE International Conference on Information and Communication Technology Convergence (ICTC) 2022-2023 🏠
• IEEE International Conference on Ubiquitous and Future Networks (ICUFN) 2023 🏠

LANGUAGES

• English (Full professional proficiency)
• Korean (Elementary proficiency)
• Urdu (Native or bilingual proficiency)
• Pashto (Native or bilingual proficiency)