ProfessorAbbas Jamalipour

Most of us now find it almost impossible to imagine our lives without the mobile phone and internet access we all take for granted. Professor Abbas Jamalipour's research in the field of wireless and mobile networking has contributed to the ubiquity of these kinds of devices, but as far as he is concerned, the applications of these technologies are still in their infancy.

Wireless technology is now part of life for almost everybody, regardless of location, age, gender or occupation. For most people it is impossible to think of a life without our smartphone and mobile devices, and that's what I am proud to be part of. Without the kind of research that my colleagues and I do, many of the advancements and comforts we now enjoy wouldn't be possible.

My research is about developing techniques and protocols that simplify and enhance the use of handheld mobile devices, including mobile phones, smartphones, tablets and laptop computers on the move. I want to enable people to use these devices not only for their everyday purposes, but also for applications in cases of an emergency or natural disaster, like an earthquake, bushfire or tsunami, where the telecommunications infrastructure is damaged or partially available.

We still have problems accessing good communications after natural disasters, which unfortunately happen on a regular basis in all parts of the world, so I am working on more resilient communications technologies for such situations.

My work covers applications from simple everyday telephone conversations to wirelessly sensing temperature and humidity in remote areas, to constantly monitoring a patient's heartbeat and blood pressure and feeding this information to a hospital database, to assessing road and bridge safety, to communicating information among aircraft and other moving vehicles, to connecting people across the world to entertainment via satellites in the sky.

Ultimately I would like to make human life easier and more comfortable by developing the best possible mobile communications technologies. I've been working in this field for the past 30 years, and I joined the University of Sydney in 1998. I am grateful that here I have been able to contribute significantly to my profession, as well as to curriculum development and faculty leadership, while also serving the community by chairing international conferences, organising special issues of journals, and presenting short courses and keynote talks.