Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sara Baber Sial | Human-Robot Interaction | Best Researcher Award
Senior Research Fellow at Monash University | Australia
Dr. Sara Baber Sial is a Senior Research Fellow and Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the Department of Data Science & AI, Monash University, Australia, and serves as an Honorary Research Fellow at Coventry University, UK. She holds a Ph.D. in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence from NUST (Pakistan), an MSc by Research from Middlesex University (UK), and a Bachelor’s in Mechatronics Engineering.
Profile:
Academic Background:
Dr. Sial holds a Ph.D. in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence from the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Pakistan. She also earned an M.Sc. (By Research) in Robotics and Controls from Middlesex University, London, and a Bachelor’s in Mechatronics Engineering from NUST.
Research and Teaching Experience:
With over 12 years of academic and research experience, Dr. Sial has taught more than 15 undergraduate and postgraduate subjects, developed new academic modules, and supervised over 30 research students, including 2 Ph.D. and 15 MS graduates. She has held senior academic positions at NUST and collaborated across institutions in Pakistan, the UK, and Australia.
Research Grants and Projects:
Dr. Sial has served as Principal or Co-Principal Investigator on 13+ national and international funded projects, securing over £459,000 in grants. Her projects span AI, robotics, telepresence, autism therapy, cultural heritage preservation, and solar-powered IoT solutions. Notable sponsors include the British Council, Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, and the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives.
Innovation and Patents:
She is an active innovator with one granted patent, multiple design and utility patents filed, and six software copyrights in process. Her inventions include robotic legs, medical imaging tools, solar cold storage systems, and immersive telepresence platforms.
Leadership Roles:
Dr. Sial is the founding director of two prominent research labs: the NUST-Coventry Human-Robot Interaction Lab (international collaboration) and the Intelligent Field Robotics Lab under the National Center for Artificial Intelligence (NCAI) in Pakistan. She has also held academic leadership roles such as Deputy Head of Department, Program Coordinator, and Industrial Liaison Officer.
Recognitions and Impact:
Dr. Sial has received numerous awards including the Top NUST Performer Award, Best Researcher Award, Best Teacher Award, and multiple Best Paper Awards at international conferences. With over 60 publications, an h-index of 10, 100+ cumulative impact factor, and 433+ citations, she continues to make a significant impact in the fields of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence.
Citation Metrics (as per Google Scholar):
Publication Top Notes:
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An adaptive multi-robot therapy for improving joint attention and imitation of ASD children
2019 – Citations: 87
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Signgraph: An efficient and accurate pose-based graph convolution approach toward sign language recognition
2023 – Citations: 47
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Analysis of BYOD security frameworks
2015 – Citations: 37
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Comparing the effectiveness of different reinforcement stimuli in a robotic therapy for children with ASD
2020 – Citations: 30
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Dominance in visual space of ASD children using multi-robot joint attention integrated distributed imitation system
2019 – Citations: 29