Dr. Amna Shifa is a Research Fellow at the Data Science Institute (DSI) at the University of Galway, Ireland, with international and interdisciplinary R&D experience spanning cybersecurity, cryptography, privacy engineering, secure multimedia systems, visual analytics, the Internet of Multimedia Things (IoMT), and data protection and GDPR compliance. As a Lead TR for PrivacyGuard, she oversees technical execution and drives the commercialisation pathway, advancing privacy-preserving solutions for sensitive visual data within the CCTV ecosystem. Through the ICT ARC Hub, she aims to transform PrivacyGuard into a robust, commercially deployable solution aligned with evolving regulatory requirements, while strengthening market validation, venture development, and investor readiness. Her long-term ambition is to establish a deep-tech start-up, translating her research into scalable, regulation-compliant technologies with international reach and commercial impact.
Dr Shifa holds a PhD in Computer Science, specialising in Information Security, and previously worked as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) Postdoctoral Researcher at the School of Computer Science, University of Galway, under the EU Horizon 2020 programme. As Technical Lead on the MSCA SSISVid project, she developed and implemented technologies for GDPR-compliant CCTV video analytics, integrating vision AI, cybersecurity, privacy engineering, and regulatory requirements. She also has over 10 years of international teaching and mentoring experience across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, including roles as an assistant professor and lecturer.
Her contributions to cybersecurity research and mentorship have earned international recognition, including being a finalist for the Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards 2026 (London, UK) and the New Talent Award at the iTag Excellence Awards 2025 (Galway, Ireland).
