Education
- Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (Fulbright Scholar), The University of Texas at Austin, USA (2007–2012) — Thesis: Immunity-based Framework for Heterogeneous Mobile Robotic Systems; Advisor: Prof. Benito R. Fernández
- M.Sc. in Mechatronics Engineering, University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore, Pakistan (2003)
- B.E. in Mechanical Engineering (with Honors), National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Rawalpindi, Pakistan (1999)
Research Interests
- Human-centered and care-companion robotics; bio-inspired artificial immune systems for fault-tolerant robots; medical and resuscitation mechatronics; industrial exoskeletons and powered prostheses; collaborative robots and human-robot interaction.
Biography
Dr. Ali Raza joined Habib University as Associate Professor in the Dhanani School of Science and Engineering in January 2026. He came to Habib from the Department of Mechatronics & Control Engineering at UET Lahore, where he was Associate Professor (2021–2025) and, before that, Assistant Professor (2004–2021) and Lecturer/Lab Engineer (2001–2004) — playing a founding role in establishing the Mechatronics and Control Engineering department and securing USD 1.39M in lab-building funding between 2001 and 2006.
A Fulbright Ph.D. alumnus of The University of Texas at Austin (2007–2012), Dr. Raza pioneered Pakistan’s human-centered robotics ecosystem: he founded the Human-Centered Robotics Lab under the National Center of Robotics and Automation (USD 1.0M grant, 2018–2019) and the Ihya Lab for Mechatronics and Resuscitation Research with Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar (2021). His labs have indigenously developed collaborative robots, industrial exoskeletons, active lower-limb prostheses, automated CPR devices, soft exoskeletons, and haptic interfaces.
Dr. Raza has secured over USD 3.5 million in competitive national and international research funding, authored more than 30 peer-reviewed papers, and served as Chairperson of UET Lahore’s Mechatronics & Control Engineering department, leading its Washington Accord (OBE) accreditation and the launch of a new B.S. in Robotics & Intelligent Systems. He also consults for industry, including robotics work with Xavor Corporation/Navigait on geriatric and dementia-care companion robots (2020–2025) and automation training delivered across 28 countries for Tetra Pak (2012–2017).
Selected Publications
- Raza, A., et al. “Modeling and Simulation of Cardiovascular System under Cardiac Arrest for Finding a More Effective CPR Technique.” Computers in Biology and Medicine, 189, 2025.
- Mazhar, R., Raza, A., et al. “A Mechatronic Bio-Mimicking Simulator Platform for Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation.” IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 2024.
- Raza, A., et al. “Immunity-Based Dynamic Reconfiguration of Mobile Robots in Unstructured Environments.” Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems, 96(3), 2019.
- Raza, A., and Fernandez, B. R. “A Multi-Tier Immuno-Inspired Framework for Heterogeneous Mobile Robotic Systems.” Applied Soft Computing, 71, 2018.
- Raza, A., and Fernandez, B. R. “Immuno-Inspired Robotic Applications: A Review.” Applied Soft Computing, 37, 2015.
Selected Research Grants
- ERASMUS+ Building Resources for Innovation, Digital Growth and Empowerment (EU, 2025)
- ERASMUS+ Capacity Building in Biomedical Engineering Education (EU, 2023)
- NRPU — Modular Reconfigurable Soft-Exoskeleton for Industrial Workers (2022)
- Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar — Mechatronic CPR Research Simulator (2020, 2021)
- National Center of Robotics & Automation — Human-Centered Robotics Lab (2018–2019)
Selected Awards
- Best Teacher, Mechatronics Department, UET Lahore (2023)
- Fulbright Doctoral Scholarship (2007–2012)
- Multiple Better Incentive Awards, UET Lahore (2013–2017)
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