Dr. Hadis Karimipour
Positions
Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Secure and Resilient Cyber-physical Systems
University of Calgary
Associate Professor
Schulich School of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Software Engineering
Schulish Chair in Secure and Reliable Networked Engineering Systems
University of Calgary
Contact information
For media enquiries, contact
Joe McFarland
Media Relations and Communications Specialist
Cell: +1.403.671.2710
Email: Joe.Mcfarland@ucalgary.ca
Preferred method of communication
Background
Credentials
PhD, Universality of Alberta, 2016
Biography
Dr. Hadis Karimipour is the Canada Research Chair (Tier II), Director of the Smart Cyber-Physical (SCPS) Lab, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Software Engineering at the University of Calgary. Before joining the University of Calgary in July 2021, she was an Assistant Professor in the School of Engineering at the University of Guelph, 2017-2021, and a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Calgary between 2016-2017. She received her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alberta in 2016.
Dr. Karimipour’s research tackles the growing cyber threats outlined in Canada’s National Cyber Threat Assessment, stressing the urgency of strong defenses against state-sponsored attacks, critical infrastructure vulnerabilities, and emerging technology threats. She is a leading pioneer in applying Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine/ Deep Learning to enhance the security of critical infrastructure, Internet of Things (IoT), and Operational Technology (OT).
Dr. Karimipour’s ground-breaking research has redefined cybersecurity research, resulting in widespread global recognition, including her appointment as the Canada Research Chair in Secure and Resilient Cyber-Physical Systems in Canada, awarded to exceptional emerging researchers identified as leaders in their field. Over the past seven years, her extensive body of work includes over 135 peer-reviewed journal articles, conference papers, and book chapters, with more than 8500 citations on Google Scholar, which puts her among the top 2% of globally cited researchers according to the Stanford ranking. Her research has secured nearly 9 million CAD in funding from both government and industry agencies, such as the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canada Research Chair, and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, to name a few.
Dr. Karimipour is deeply committed to public education and awareness, engaging in podcasts (e.g., Cybercrimeology), as well as newspaper, radio, and television interviews (CBC, QR Calgary, Global TV, CTV News). She serves as an expert on various committees, including Canada’s National Strategy for Critical Infrastructure Policy Renewal Committee, the NSERC Discovery Grant Review Panel, the Research Executive Agency of the European Commission, and the Standards Council of Canada (ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42 – Artificial Intelligence and ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 27 – Information Security, Cybersecurity, and Privacy Protection). She is also an Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics (IF: 11.7) and the International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems (IF: 5.0), two leading journals in the field. Additionally, she has served as a Guest Editor for several IEEE journals, including the IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics (2024, 2025), IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics (2023, 2024), and IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems (2024, 2025), among others.
Dr. Karimipour is a driving force for diversity and inclusion in STEM, advocating for underrepresented groups and f an inclusive environment where all can thrive. She has supervised and mentored more than fifty highly qualified personnel, including undergraduate researchers, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and research associates across multiple institutions. Her laboratories and collaborative programs intentionally embed principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging, ensuring that trainees from all backgrounds are positioned to excel. Through leadership roles such as Chair of IEEE Women in Engineering (K-W Section, 2017–2022), Chair and organizer of the annual Women in Data Science (WiDS) Conference at the University of Calgary (2023–present), and active mentorship in organizations like The Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Heart Home Network's 2024 Mentorship Auction, and Women in Cybersecurity (WiCys), she continues to empower and inspire future generations of women in STEM.
Her research interests include:
- AI-enabled Monitoring Solution for Smart Cyber-Physical Grids
- AI-enabled IoT/OT Security
- Machine Learning/Deep Learning
- Security of AI
Research
Areas of Research
Machine Learning (ML) is a subset of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that provides systems with the ability to automatically learn and improve from experience without being explicitly programmed. The basic premise of ML is to build algorithms that can receive input data and use statistical analysis to predict an output while updating outputs as new data becomes available. ML can be used for anomaly detection, system monitoring, security analysis, load prediction, load forecasting, etc. in cyber-physical systems.
The deployment of smart technologies in the communication layer brings new challenges for online monitoring and control of the Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). In addition to the failure of physical infrastructure, CPSs are also sensitive to different anomalies on their communication layer. AI is a popular technology that has the potential to be leveraged in different aspects of CPS monitoring including anomaly/failure detection.
Over the last decade, IoT platforms have been developed into a global giant that grabs every aspect of our daily lives. Because of easy accessibility and fast-growing demand for smart devices and networks, IoT is now facing more security challenges than ever before. AI-based methods can be used to identify various attacks at an early stage as well as providing defensive strategies. Moreover, AI seems to be promising in detecting new attacks using learning skills and handle them intelligently.
Participation in university strategic initiatives
Awards
- Outstanding Achievement Award, University of Calgary. 2025
- Killam Emerging Research Leader Award, Killam Trust. 2025
- Top 40 Under 40, Avenue Magazine-Calgary. 2023
- Alumni Horizon Award, University of Alberta Alumni Award. 2025
- Top 25 Women of Influence, Women of Influence+. 2025
- Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards, WXN Academe. 2024
- Schulich School of Engineering Excellence Award in Graduate Student Supervision, University of Calgary. 2024
- Canadian Security Top 10 Under 40, Canadian Security Magazine. 2024
- ASTech Award Inspiring Innovations in AI/ML Advancement, ASTech Award and Technology Alberta. 2023
- Most Inspiring Women in Cyber, IT Security Guru. 2022
- Schulich School of Engineering Excellence Award in Research Excellence, University of Calgary. 2023
- Canada Research Chair (Tier II), Government of Canada. 2022
- IEEE Women in Communications Engineering (WICE) Early Achievement Award, IEEE Communication Society. 2022
- Schulich School of Engineering Excellence Award in Mentoring, University of Calgary. 2023
- APEGA Early Accomplishment Award, Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA). 2022
- Most Inspiring Women in Cyber, IT Security Guru. 2022
- Canada's Top 20 Women in Cyber Security, IT World Canada. 2021
- Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship, University of Alberta. 2015
- Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship, University of Alberta. 2014
Publications
In the News
- 34th Annual ASTech Awards. (2023)
- Top 40 Under 40 2023. (2023)
- CBC News-As new AI ChatGPT earns hype, cybersecurity experts warn about potential malicious uses. (2023)
- Cybersecurity awareness key as students head back to class. (2021)
- Who moved my cheese: Engineering Smart farms, grids and AI. (2021)
- UCalgary researchers talk artificial intelligence and epidemiology on Parliament Hill. (2023)
- Top Women in Cyber Security Celebration 2021: Honouree roundup. (2021)
- 2022 Early Accomplishment Award Recipient. (2022)
- Delegates for the 2023 Science Meets Parliament. (2023)
Are you the profile owner?
Login to edit.