Asma Slaimi, originally from Tunisia, is a PhD student in the School of Electronic Engineering at Dublin City University (DCU).
She is working on a collaborative project with Arup to investigate the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in the water domain.

What inspired you to pursue a career in research, and how did you get started in your field?

Science is the subject behind so many significant and progressive developments.
I’ve always believed that a research career can make a difference, which suits me best.
I was a student at the ISG (Higher Institute of Management, Tunis, Tunisia). To accomplish my masters, I had the opportunity to be an intern under the supervision of Dr Brian Davis in The Insight Centre SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics in the University of Galway.
My internship experience in the Insight Centre was great, and the work environment was terrific.
After that, I worked for two years as a data scientist, but I found I felt happier and more myself doing research. I believe that the doctoral position will provide me with the support and challenge for which I am looking to continue my career.
I was highly motivated to pursue my career with an interesting doctoral position. I decided to apply for PhD, and I was fortunate and obtained a position in Insight again at Dublin City University. I have a great supervisor team, Dr. Michael Scriney, Dr. Susan Hegarty, Prof. Fiona Regand and Prof. Noel E. O’Connor and we are working on a fascinating project.
AI and data analysis are used in this study to produce insights that will improve water management.