Dr Yashar Moshfeghi

Reader

Computer and Information Sciences

Personal statement

I am a Reader (Associate Professor) in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science at the University of Strathclyde, where I have founded and lead the NeuraSearch Laboratory. Our laboratory bridges human intelligence to artificial intelligence by operating at the forefront of Neuroscience, Data Science, and AI.

Within the NeuraSearch Laboratory, our focus is on the development of cutting-edge Recommender Systems and Information Retrieval Systems. We specialize in harnessing Natural Language Processing, Language Modeling, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning techniques to create innovative solutions. Specifically, we concentrate on identifying, understanding, and modelling brain activities related to complex information search processes.

These innovative areas of research have yielded more than 90 publications to date, including peer-reviewed journals and full conference papers. Our research has a wider appeal beyond academia, fostering collaborations with various companies through initiatives like KTP, KE, and consultancy projects.

If you are a highly motivated individual seeking opportunities for PhD, Post-doc, Fellowships (e.g. Newton International Fellowship, Marie-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship, etc.) or short-term projects (e.g., ERASMUS, Commonwealth, etc.) within the dynamic environment of the NeuraSearch Laboratory, I encourage you to reach out. Your enthusiasm for advancing knowledge in these fields would be a valuable addition to our collaborative and forward-thinking team.

Expertise

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Prize And Awards

People's Choice Poster Prize: Recipient; 19/6/2025
BAE Stars Award: Recipient; 9/2024
Honorary Senior Research Fellow, School of Computing Science, University of Glasgow: Recipient; 9/2024
SICSA Director of Research: Recipient; 2024
SICSA Artificial Intelligence & Data Science Theme Leader: Recipient; 2023
BCS-IRSG Inclusion Officer: Recipient; 2021

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Publications

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Publications

A Hodge-FAST framework for high-resolution dynamic functional connectivity analysis of higher order interactions in EEG signals: Roy Om, Moshfeghi Yashar, Smith Jason, Ibanez Agustin, Parra Mario A, Smith Keith M; 2025 47th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC) 47th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC) (2025); https://doi.org/10.1109/EMBC58623.2025.11253015
POW: Political overton windows of large language models: Azzopardi Leif, Moshfeghi Yashar; The 2025 Conference on Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing (2025)
Strategies for managing information overload : a systematic review: Kashlot Salah, Ruthven Ian, Moshfeghi Yashar; Journal of Documentation (2025); https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-09-2025-0257
Report on the 3rd Workshop on NeuroPhysiological Approaches for Interactive Information Retrieval (NeuroPhysIIR 2025) at SIGIR CHIIR 2025: Spina Damiano, Gwizdka Jacek, Ji Kaixin, Moshfeghi Yashar, Mostafa Javed, Ruotsalo Tuukka, Zhang Min, Ahmad Adnan, Lawati Sara Fahad Dawood Al, Boonprakong Nattapat, Fernando Nishani, He Jiaman, Hoeber Orland, Jayawardena Gavindya, Lee Boon Giin, Liu Haiming, Pike Matthew, Pirmoradi Abbas, Nakisa Bahareh, Rastgoo Mohammad Naim, Salim Flora D, Scott Fletcher, Sun Shuoqi, Tang Huimin, Towey Dave, Wilson Max L; ACM SIGIR Forum Vol 59, pp. 1-43 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1145/3769733.3769740
Exploring the variations in browsing and dwell time behaviours in web pages among users with different levels of attention: Torabi Mahsa, Mirzabeigi Mahdieh, Abbaspour Javad, Hadianfard Habib, Moshfeghi Yashar; Journal of Librarianship and Information Science (2025); https://doi.org/10.1177/09610006251363976
Brain-machine interfaces & information retrieval challenges and opportunities: Moshfeghi Yashar, McGuire Niall; SIGIR '25 48th International ACM SIGIR Conference on Research and Development in Information Retrieval, SIGIR 2025, pp. 3887-3898 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1145/3726302.3730350

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Teaching

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Teaching

Current Modules:

Fundamentals of Machine Learning for Data Analytics
Advance Machine Learning Techniques

Past Modules:

Big Data Fundamentals
Big Data Tools and Techniques

Research

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Research Interests

My research vision has been to develop the underlying and core technology of "pro-active" information systems, which has an essential and challenging data science task: accurately infer and predict the immediate information needs of users by processing, analysing, and learning from abundant big data gathered from various sources including brain activation data gathered via MRI and EEG devices. My research interests and expertise are in line with Neuroscience, Information Retrieval, Natural Language Processing, Data Mining, Machine Learning and Deep Learning. My interests, however, are extended beyond Information Retrieval and pertain to rigorously understanding the world of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.

Professional Activities

Doctoral School Multidisciplinary Symposium (DSMS) 2025: Speaker; 28/8/2025
Strategic Themes: EPSRC Critical Mass Programmes to Drive a Sustainable Future: Participant; 30/1/2025
EPSRC Scoping Worskhop (Critical mass): Participant; 30/1/2025
Shaping Dementia Care with Generative AI: Host; 10/2024
Dementia in the Age of Gen-AI: Host; 27/9/2024
Strategic Themes - Bioimaging Workshop: Participant; 17/9/2024

More professional activities

Projects

UDLA 2527 University of Strathclyde | Barrie, Danielle: Kist, Cassandra (Principal Investigator) Moshfeghi, Yashar (Co-investigator) Barrie, Danielle (Research Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2025 - 01-Jan-2029
UKRI2005: DA EPSRC IDLA - University of Strathclyde 2025 / S251622-107: Moshfeghi, Yashar (Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2025 - 30-Jan-2030
The Prison Blueprint: How Colonial Incarceration Forged Modern Racial Injustice: Sanjurjo-Ramos, Jesus (Principal Investigator) Belton, Lloyd (CoPI) Moshfeghi, Yashar (Co-investigator) Izaguirre, Yaimara (Co-investigator) Thompson-Brown, Beverley (Co-investigator) Barcia, Manuel (Researcher) Bardes, John (Researcher) Basques, Messias (Researcher) GONZALEZ ARANA, Roberto (Researcher) Guyatt, Nicholas (Researcher) Gyollai, Daniel (Researcher) Jardine, Cara (Researcher) Mantilla Morales, Valeria Sofia (Researcher) Moss, Kellie (Researcher) Naranjo, Consuelo (Researcher) Piacentini, Laura (Researcher) Sabala, Vanesa (Researcher) Sarmiento Ramirez, Ismael (Researcher) Bhopal, Aneel Singh (Fellow) Surwillo, Lisa (Researcher) Weaver, Beth (Researcher); This flagship project encompasses various initiatives to examine the historical origins of systemic racism and class discrimination in contemporary criminal justice systems by bringing together historians, computer scientists specialising in AI, criminologists, philosophers, and justice policy experts. Led by Dr Jesús Sanjurjo (University of Strathclyde) and Dr Lloyd Belton (University of Glasgow), our research is centred around the recent unearthing of a unique historical collection: Havana's Royal Prison Logbooks.

Spanning a century (1837-1937), these extraordinary manuscripts from one of the Atlantic's largest colonial prisons contain detailed records of thousands of men, women, and children, both free and enslaved. By connecting this rich historical data with contemporary policy, we aim to directly inform current debates on prison reform and the enduring legacies of racial injustice. The initiative is generously funded by the University of Strathclyde, the University of Glasgow, the British Library's Endangered Archives Programme, the UKRI-ESRC Impact Acceleration Account, and the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.

The project comprises the following research initiatives:

1. 'Using AI for Tracking Systemic Racism in Historical Carceral Systems', co-led by Dr Sanjurjo, Dr Moshfeghi, and Dr Belton, 1/02/25 → 31/07/25, funded by a University of Strathclyde's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Research Grant, £2,000.00.

2. 'Havana’s Royal Prison Logbooks (1836-1898): Digitisation, Preservation and Dissemination', co-led by Dr Sanjurjo, Dr Moshfeghi, Dr Belton, and MSc. Izaguirre, 1/10/25 → Ongoing, funded by the British Library's Endangered Archives Programme (pilot), £15,000.00, https://eap.bl.uk/project/EAP1676

3. 'To contain the diffusion of pernicious ideas. The systematic imprisonment of Black sailors in Cuba and the United States, 1830-1850' ['Para contener la difusión de ideas perniciosas: Encarcelamiento sistemático de marineros negros en Cuba y Estados Unidos, 1830-1850'], co-led by Dr Belton, Dr Sanjurjo, MSc. Izaguirre, in partnership with Dr John Bardes, 1/05/25 → Ongoing, internally funded.

4. 'Using AI to Track Systemic Racism in Historical Carceral Systems', ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA), co-led by Dr Sanjurjo, Dr Moshfeghi, and Dr Belton in partnership with Beverley Thompson-Brown OBE, 01/11/25 → Ongoing, funded by an ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) Award, £14,769.96.

5. 'Historical Prison Systems in The Atlantic World and Their Impact on the Construction of Contemporary Penitentiary Models', I-LINK Programme of the CSIC and the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities Scheme, led by Prof Consuelo Naranjo, co-led by Prof Consuelo Naranjo (CSIC-Madrid) and Dr Sanjurjo, 1/01/2026 → Ongoing, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities' I-LINK Scheme, €30,000.00; 01-Jan-2025
Functional Materials Discovery Using Artificial Intelligence: Zollner, Malin (Researcher) Nematiaram, Tahereh (Principal Investigator) Moshfeghi, Yashar (Principal Investigator); A research project aimed at discovering new functional materials, with a focus on small-molecule organic semiconductors, through machine learning and high-throughput screening to advance sustainable and innovative technologies—supporting applications such as organic photovoltaics for clean energy and medical biosensors for next-generation diagnostics.; 01-Jan-2024 - 30-Jan-2027
£1,230 - Funded by Festival of Social Sciences - Shaping Dementia Care with Generative AI: Moshfeghi, Yashar (Principal Investigator) Rogers, Claire (Post Grad Student); 01-Jan-2024 - 31-Jan-2024
£300 - Funded by Explorathon - Dementia in the Age of Gen-AI: Moshfeghi, Yashar (Principal Investigator) Rogers, Claire (Post Grad Student); 11-Jan-2024 - 27-Jan-2024