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PhD Researcher
My name is Katerina. I am a PhD researcher at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Thessaly. I hold both a Bachelor's and a Master’s degree in the same field, with my postgraduate thesis focused on reinforcement learning for optimizing wireless IoT network performance. My academic and practical experiences span software development, AI, and network engineering. In my work as a researcher, I am contributing to innovative research projects involving the development of data management and sharing solutions aiming to ensure data sovereignty and governance for facilitating data-driven innovation.
Meet the professional
As a PhD researcher, I develop and evaluate Data Spaces in the aspect of data sharing mechanisms for ensuring security and sovereignty throughout the exchange of data, utilized for innovation. My work lies at the crossroads of computer science and software engineering. It involves scientific research, coding, simulation, data management and publishing results. This role contributes directly to STEM through innovation, experimentation, and knowledge dissemination in areas critical for the digital future.
My fascination with technology began during high school, but it truly took form during my undergraduate studies, particularly after an Erasmus+ experience in Italy. Working in international environments and seeing the impact of real-world research projects motivated me to pursue advanced studies and a research career in engineering.
Skills
Communication Skills
It is important to express ideas clearly and build professional relationships.
Management Skills
To lead teams efficiently, drive projects forward, and create a productive work environment.
Programming
Daily use of Java for implementation of data sharing solutions in Data Spaces. Experienced in Python through AI projects, particularly in reinforcement learning and data analysis.
Artificial Intelligence
Adapted and applied Deep Q-Learning algorithms to optimize performance in wireless IoT networks, combining reinforcement learning with neural networks for dense device environments.
Research
Skilled in designing experiments, conducting simulations, and publishing peer-reviewed research. Contributed to international conferences such as IEEE CSCN, EEITE, and IEE Big Data focusing on IoT, deep learning, and secure data exchange.
Collaboration
Work closely with interdisciplinary teams, contributing to joint projects involving computer scientists, engineers, and data specialists. Experience in both academic and industry-aligned environments.
Advice to take away
Be curious and persistent. Don’t be discouraged by difficulties—every challenge is an opportunity to learn. Build projects, join hackathons, and explore beyond the classroom. Technical skills matter, but so does the ability to communicate and collaborate.
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Disclaimer
This Career sheet has been provided by means of the SD2 project. DS2 has received funding from the EU Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme CL4-2023-DATA-01 under grant agreement No.101135967, and by UK Research and Innovation under the UK government. Scientix® is an initiative of European Schoolnet®.