Nikolaos (Nikos) Nikolaou

Available PhD Opportunities

Applications for the September 2024 cohort of UCL's CDT in Data Intensive Science (UCL CDT-DIS) are now open! We offer a 4-year PhD programme, at the intersection of Machine Learning / Artificial Intelligence & Physics, with multiple training & industrial placement opportunities!

I am offering 2 projects:
1) Exploring the interplay of machine learning model uncertainty quantification & model interpretability (applications: Exoplanetary Science, Medical Imaging), with Prof. Ingo Waldmann
2) Causal discovery & inference in astrophysics (applications: Cosmology, Exoplanetary Science), with Prof. Ofer Lahav
Anyone interested is welcome to apply and/or contact me for more details.

Student Supervision

I have (co-)supervised or I am currently (co-)supervising 7 PhD students, 26 MSc Students, 1 BSc student summer project & 3 industrial placement group projects involving 9 PhD students (listed below). Several of my students' projects have received prizes (4 MSc & 1 PhD) and/or led to publications, with more under preparation. Unless otherwise specified, all my students were from UCL P&A.

Students wishing more details added (project title, current affiliation, links etc.), please get in touch.

PhD Students

Main supervisor:

James K. Ray - Interpretable galaxy imaging from large surveys using supervised & unsupervised machine learning (2022-present)
Jools D. Clarke - Investigating performance, interpretability & resource efficiency trade-offs of machine learning models for exoplanet data (2023-present)
Emily Lewis - Physics-informed neural networks for accelerating plasma simulations on the JET fusion reactor (2024-present)
Currently in her final year, took over supervision from Yiannis Andreopoulos after he left UCL.

Co-supervisor:

Tara Tasheen - Using deep learning to model complex chemistries of exoplanet atmospheres (2022-present)
Main supervisor: Ingo Waldmann
Paul Nathan - Anomaly detection in DESI spectra using autoencoders and other machine learning techniques (2022-present)
Main supervisor: Ofer Lahav
Alex Saoulis - Simulation-Based Inference for Seismic Source Inversion (2022-present)
Main supervisors: Benjamin Joachimi, Ana Ferreira
Max Hipperson - Characterising the surfaces of solar system planets using deep learning (2019-present)
Main supervisor: Ingo Waldmann
Mario Morván - Deep learning, shallow dips: transit light curves have never been so trendy (2018-22)
*UCL Physics & Astronomy Jon Darius Memorial Prize 2022*
Main supervisor: Ingo Waldmann
Kai Hou Yip - Expect the unexpected: deciphering exoplanetary signals with machine learning techniques (2018-21)
Main supervisor: Giovanna Tinetti

Auxiliary Supervisor:

Angelos R. Nikolopoulos (2022-present, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Southampton)
Main supervisor: Efstratios Batzelis

UCL Supervisor of 3-month CDT-DIS Industrial Partner Group Projects

Antónia Vojteková, James K. Ray & Noah C. Hall (2023, The London Data Company)
Philipa Duckett & Matthew Docherty (2022, ASOS)
Petr Mánek & Graham Van Goffrier (2020, UKAEA)

MSc Students

Main supervisor:

Daniel Kornai - Inferring causal directionality from observational data (2023-24)
Ester Li - Interpretable machine learning models for diabetic retinopathy detection (2023-24)
Shiyuan Fang - Interpretable machine learning models for COVID-19 chest ray image classification (2023-24)
Yu Fan - Cancer survival modelling (2023-24)
Xilin Chen - Cancer survival modelling (2023-24)
Mengni Wang - Generative models of galaxy images (2022-23)
Yanwenjing Qu - Generative models of galaxy images (2022-23)
Runyang You - Improving the efficiency of exoplanet atmosphere characterization with active learning and knowledge distillation (2022-23)
*UCL Physics & Astronomy Harrie Massey Prize in Scientific and Data Intensive Computing (Best Overall MSc Student) 2023*
Ruichen Pan - Model interpretability exploration of exoplanet characterization models (2022-23)
You Zuo - Transfer learning for short-term photovoltaic generation forecasting with deep neural networks (2022-23)
*UCL MAPS Postgraduate (MSc) Innovation and Enterprise Prize 2023*
Yumeng Liu - Improving machine learning models for treatment effect estimation with data augmentation (2022-23)
Congxu Zhao - Interpreting the predictions of machine learning models for treatment effect estimation (2022-23)
Jingyao Li - Examining the influence of the base-learner for treatment effect estimation (2022-23)
Tianxi Wen - Interpreting vision transformers for melanoma classification using GradCAM (2022-23)
Wenteng Ma - Interpreting vision transformers for melanoma classification from skin lesion images using attention maps (2022-23)
Xinyi Hu - Dimensionality reduction for breast cancer survival prediction (2022-23)
Duojiao Mu - Interpreting models for breast cancer survival prediction (2022-23)
Yasona Neocleous - Interpretable machine learning models for melanoma classification from skin lesion images (2022-23)
*UCL Physics & Astronomy Brian Duff Memorial Prize (Best MSci Project) 2023*
Yahya Scerbo (2021-22, Industry-based MSc research project at ASOS)
Rohit Sekhar (2021-22, Industry-based MSc research project at ASOS)
Bowen Ding (2021-22, Industry-based MSc research project at ASOS)

Co-supervisor:

Longwen Hu - Tweet classification for OSR topics (2022-23)
Industry-based MSc research project at the Office for Statistics Regulation, UK
Cristian Ignat - Finding exoplanets using direct imaging and deep learning (2019-20)
*UCL Physics & Astronomy Tessella Prize 2020*
Main supervisor: Ingo Waldmann
Adipol Phosrisom - Large-Scale structure cosmology with the KiDS survey (2019-20)
Main supervisor: Benjamin Joachimi

Auxiliary Supervisor:

Jacob G. Ellen (2020-21)
UCL; Industry-based MSc Project at AstraZeneca, Main supervisor: Natasha Markuzon
Nour Skaf (2019-20)
Imperial College London; Visiting Student at UCL, Main supervisor: Ingo Waldmann

BSc Students

Yasona Neocleous (2022, 3rd Year DIS CDT Summer Project Supervisor)