Research

Biomedical Engineering is a discipline in which the techniques of engineering and quantitative sciences are applied to the solution of problems in medicine and biology. The applications include research and design of instrumentation and technologies to enhance health care. In addition, the discipline deals with the development of a quantitative understanding of the human body and other living systems, in engineering terms.

The Biomedical Engineering Research Group within the School of Electrical and Information Engineering offers a range of research options at postgraduate level.  The field of Biomedical Engineering is inherently multidisciplinary, and hence the research is usually undertaken in collaboration with other research groups and in some cases with other departments and institutions.

The group has been active in the fields of medical imaging, artificial intelligence and bioreactors. Some of the work has been done in collaboration with the School of Pathology and the School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, as well as other research groups within the School of Electrical & Information Engineering.

Staff

Prof Rubin David (Head)
Prof Vered Arahonson
Dr Xriz Richards
Dr Steven Conrad Dinger
Mr Abdul-Khaaliq Mohamed
Mr Adam Pantanowitz
Mrs Robyn Letts

Financial Support for Postgraduate Students

The NRF grants bursaries to full time MSc and PhD students. The programme may top up this funding, the actual amount being decided on a case-by-case basis. Running expenses for projects are covered separately by generous funding from the University Research Fund, the NRF and THRIP. However, prospective and current students are highly encouraged to seek their own funding from various funding bodies, locally and internationally.

The Centre for Systems and Control is a research group that resides within the School of Electrical and Information Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment. The activities of the group range from classical control to modern linear and non-linear control. All aspects of systems and signals namely, modelling, synthesis, control analysis and design pertaining to linear and non-linear, time-invariant as well as time varying systems and signals form part of the focus.

Staff

Prof Brian WigdorowitzProf Brian Wigdorowitz 
Dr Otis Nyandoro

The Electric Power Research Group (EPRG) is an on-going and well-established programme in the School of Electrical & Information whose mission is to contribute expert knowledge and skills in the fields of high voltage, lightning/EMC, computational electromagnetics and power system engineering. It aims to establish a sound base in research and teaching in the various associated disciplines and is committed to being a world key player in contributing expert knowledge. It views research and teaching in these disciplines as a critical ingredient to economic growth as well social well-being of the region. 

Staff

This group researches systems and technologies that ensure adequate secure supply of clean electrical energy into the future. Access to energy, in conjunction with access to water is one of the biggest drivers of quality of life. Given the current environmental impact issues of traditional fossil fuel based energy, expanding access to energy in this direction is not an option.

Staff

The Software Engineering Research Group has a number of current research interests including: software development methodologies, smart grids, big data and bioinformatics. 

Staff

Prof Barry DwolatzkyDr Stephen Levitt(Head)
Dr Stephen LevittProf Scott Hazelhurst 

The Telecommunications Access and Services research Group (CeTAS) has a long legacy of research that has called for parts of the “Converged” platform. To a large extent, the platform is what it is because of past research. Research in services required a distributed computing layer that used the network in an abstracted kind of way. Research on VPNs and MPLS used the network elements and the Smartbits sources to simulate a service layer throwing traffic at the network. Whilst research in radio spectrum management required new devices such as Software Defined Radios and Cognitive Radios. 

Staff

• Prof Fambirai Takawira (Head)
• Prof Ling Cheng
• Dr Asad Mahmood
• Dr Olutayo Oyerinde
• Dr Jules Moualeu
• Dr Gbolahan Aiyetoro
• Mr Mitchell A. Cox

Background

In 1997 Telkom set up its Centre of Excellence (COE) programme. The programme has two objectives: to promote postgraduate research at South African Universities in areas that support the Telecommunications Sector and to develop some of the high-level skills needed in this sector.

The Wits University Center of Excellence, established in 1997 under the leadership of Prof Hu Hanrahan, has defined its focus as "Telecommunications Access and Services". It was supported financially by Telkom, Vodacom, Nokia-Siemens, Telsaf Data and the DTI (via the THRIP programme).

Over the last two decades, the Wits COE (called CeTAS - Centre for Telecommunication Access and Services), has achieved an excellent research publication record, and has educated a significant number of students who have gone on to fill key positions in the South African and African telecommunications industry.

Financial Support for Postgraduate Students

The NRF grants bursaries to full time MSc and PhD students. The programme may top up this funding, the actual amount being decided on a case-by-case basis. Running expenses for projects are covered separately by generous funding from the University Research Fund, the NRF and THRIP. However, prospective and current students are highly encouraged to seek their own funding from various funding bodies, locally and internationally.