Dr Raneem Knaj is a Research Fellow in the James Watt School of Engineering at the University of Glasgow, working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, speech and audio signal processing, and digital healthcare. Her research focuses on developing explainable and clinically meaningful AI approaches for analysing speech and multimodal behavioural signals, with particular interests in digital mental health, mood-disorder assessment, multilingual and cross-lingual speech technologies, and inclusive AI for healthcare.

Her current work combines engineering research with real-world clinical translation, including the development of speech-based approaches for psychological wellbeing assessment and decision support in healthcare settings. She collaborates across engineering, computing, clinical and community environments, with an emphasis on explainability, ecological validity, linguistic diversity and responsible deployment of AI.

Before joining the University of Glasgow, Dr Knaj held academic and leadership roles in Syria, including Head of the Computer and Electronic Systems Engineering Department at Tartous University. She has more than a decade of university teaching experience across electronic engineering, communications, signal processing, control systems and artificial intelligence, and has contributed to curriculum development, academic quality assurance and engineering education. She is also the author of two Arabic-language university textbooks, Signal Processing and Automatic Control Systems.

Her wider academic experience includes leading externally funded research and infrastructure initiatives, developing engineering laboratories, academic programme leadership, peer review and professional service. She is a Senior Member of IEEE and contributes to interdisciplinary research and public engagement addressing the responsible use of AI across healthcare and diverse linguistic communities.

My research interests centre on the development of explainable, equitable and human-centred artificial intelligence for healthcare, with particular expertise in speech, audio and multimodal behavioural signal processing.

• Speech and multimodal AI for digital health, including computational analysis of vocal, linguistic and behavioural signals associated with psychological and cognitive wellbeing
• Digital mental health and clinical decision support, with an emphasis on AI approaches that support assessment, monitoring and early identification of meaningful change rather than replacing clinical judgement
• Explainable and trustworthy AI, including interpretable machine-learning methods designed for clinically meaningful and responsible use
• Multilingual and cross-lingual speech technologies, investigating the robustness and generalisability of speech-based models across languages, accents and speaker populations
• Low-resource and Arabic speech processing, including the development and analysis of under-represented speech datasets and more inclusive AI systems
• Naturalistic and real-world behavioural sensing, bridging controlled computational research with ecologically valid healthcare and community settings
• Machine learning and deep learning for biomedical and behavioural signals, including multimodal integration and personalised modelling
• Intelligent systems, signal processing and control, providing the broader engineering foundation for my interdisciplinary research

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Prior publications

• 2026: Glasgow Changing Futures (GCF) Catalyst Micro Seed Funding — VoiceEquity Scotland. Lead Applicant and Budget Holder, £2,000, August–October 2026.

• 2025–2027: Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara) Fellowship — 24-month Visiting Fellowship at the University of Glasgow. Cara Fellow, £40,500 per annum.

• 2021: Syriatel — External funding for Tartous University participation in the Syrian Collegiate Programming Contest. Principal Investigator, US$3,200.

• 2020: Tartous Cement Plant, Syria — Infrastructure funding for the establishment and equipment of an Automatic Control Laboratory, Department of Computer and Electronic Systems Engineering, Tartous University. Principal Investigator, US$42,000.

• 2017: MTN Syria — External funding for the organisation and delivery of the Tartous University Collegiate Programming Contest. Principal Investigator, US$4,600.

• 2016: Al Baraka Bank Syria — External funding for Tartous University participation in the Arab Collegiate Programming Contest in Egypt. Principal Investigator, US$6,000.

I welcome enquiries from prospective MSc and PhD researchers interested in interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of artificial intelligence, signal processing, intelligent systems and digital health. My supervisory interests combine rigorous engineering methods with explainability, real-world validation and clinically or socially meaningful applications.

Potential areas include:

• Explainable and trustworthy AI for healthcare, including interpretable machine-learning approaches for clinical and behavioural decision support
• Speech, audio and multimodal behavioural signal processing for psychological and cognitive assessment and longitudinal monitoring
• Digital mental health and speech-based digital biomarkers, including low-burden and non-invasive approaches to monitoring meaningful change
• Multilingual and cross-lingual speech technologies, including robustness across languages, accents and diverse speaker populations
• Low-resource Arabic speech and inclusive AI, addressing linguistic and demographic under-representation in AI systems
• Personalised and longitudinal machine learning, including within-person modelling and change detection
• Naturalistic and real-world healthcare AI, translating computational methods from controlled environments into clinical and community settings
• Intelligent systems, signal processing, control and embedded AI, including assistive and healthcare technologies
• Embedded, real-time and networked intelligent systems, including sensor-based and connected applications

I am particularly interested in projects that bridge methodological innovation with responsible deployment, equity and measurable real-world impact.

My academic supervision experience spans doctoral, master’s and undergraduate engineering research across artificial intelligence, signal processing, communications, control and intelligent systems.

Current postgraduate supervision
At Tartous University, I currently serve as Primary Supervisor for two PhD researchers and four MSc researchers, supporting projects across engineering, artificial intelligence and related interdisciplinary areas.

Previous postgraduate supervision
I have previously supervised six MSc researchers as Primary Supervisor and two MSc researchers as Co-Supervisor. My postgraduate supervision has included research in speech and audio signal processing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, intelligent systems, communications, electronic engineering, automatic control, and healthcare- and behaviour-oriented engineering applications.

Undergraduate project supervision
Across my academic appointments at public and private universities in Syria, I have supervised approximately 125 undergraduate final-year engineering projects. These have covered a broad range of areas, including:

• Artificial intelligence and machine learning
• Speech and audio signal processing
• Signal processing and communications
• Automatic control systems
• Electronic and intelligent systems
• Embedded systems
• Real-time systems
• Computer networks
• Mobile application development
• Web application and web-system development
• Systems analysis and design
• Healthcare- and behaviour-oriented engineering applications

My supervisory approach emphasises research independence, methodological rigour, critical thinking and the ability to connect engineering theory with practical system development and real-world problems. I support students throughout the research lifecycle, from problem formulation and study design to implementation, analysis, evaluation and academic writing.

I have more than a decade of university teaching experience across electronic engineering, computer and automatic control engineering, communications, signal processing, programming, intelligent systems and applied artificial intelligence. I have taught across public and private universities in Syria, including Tartous University, Al Andalus University, Wadi International University and Qasyoun Private University, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

My teaching experience extends beyond classroom delivery to curriculum development, assessment, academic quality assurance, student mentoring and project-based engineering education. I have authored two Arabic-language university textbooks, Signal Processing and Automatic Control Systems, developed to support undergraduate engineering teaching at Tartous University.

A major component of my academic practice has been research and project supervision. I have supervised MSc and PhD researchers and approximately 125 undergraduate final-year engineering projects across areas including artificial intelligence, signal processing, communications, control systems, embedded and real-time systems, computer networks, mobile and web applications, and systems analysis and design.

My teaching approach emphasises the connection between engineering theory and real-world system development, encouraging students to develop independent problem-solving, critical thinking and research skills. I am particularly interested in research-informed and interdisciplinary teaching that connects signal processing, artificial intelligence, intelligent systems and digital healthcare.

Teaching interests include:

• Artificial intelligence and machine learning
• Signal, speech and audio processing
• Electronic and computer systems engineering
• Automatic control and intelligent systems
• Embedded and real-time systems
• Communications and computer networks
• Programming and software/system development
• AI and signal-processing applications in healthcare

Academic Service and Professional Engagement

• Peer Reviewer, IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics (JBHI), contributing technical and methodological review in areas including explainable AI and clinical decision-support systems.
• Reviewer, 2026 International Telecommunications Conference (ITC-Egypt), reviewing research across autonomous systems, robotics, embedded AI, IoT, cybersecurity, sensing, and machine-learning applications.
• Founder and Director, Robotics Club, Syrian Scientific Society for Informatics (2014–2025), establishing and leading robotics, computational-thinking, and STEM education and outreach activities for children and young people.
• ICT Trainer / Instructor, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Syria (2018–2021), contributing to digital-skills development, workforce upskilling, and community capacity building.
• Active contributor to academic outreach, digital inclusion, sustainability education, and community engagement, working across university, professional, community, and humanitarian settings.

Selected Academic Development and Student Skills Workshops

• AI Tools for Enhancing University Teaching - Tartous University, 2024. Designed and delivered a professional-development workshop for academic staff from multiple disciplines on the effective use of artificial intelligence tools to enhance teaching, learning, and academic practice.
• Foundations of Scientific Research - University of Aleppo, 2021. Designed and delivered a workshop for university students on the foundations of scientific research, including research problem formulation, literature review, research design, and academic practice.
• Applying for International Scholarships and Fellowships - Al-Baath University, 2020. Delivered a workshop for final-year university students on identifying international opportunities and preparing competitive scholarship and fellowship applications.
• Preparing for Job Interviews - Syrian Scientific Society for Informatics, Damascus, 2018. Delivered a large-scale employability workshop focused on interview preparation, professional communication, and effective presentation of skills and experience.
• CV Writing and Career Preparation - Skills and Career Guidance Centre, 2016. Delivered a multidisciplinary career-development workshop for final-year university students on preparing effective CVs and presenting academic and professional experience.

Professional Memberships and Networks

• Senior Member, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), since 2026
• Member, IEEE Signal Processing Society
• Member, IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society
• Member, IEEE Computational Intelligence Society
• Member, Women in AI
• Community Member, Women in Data Science Worldwide
• ORCID: 0009-0009-6458-9604

Books and Academic Textbooks

Knaj, R. (2023). Automatic Control Systems. Tartous University, Syria.
Arabic-language university textbook developed for second-year undergraduate students in Information and Communication Technology Engineering.

Knaj, R. (2019). Signal Processing. Tartous University, Syria.
Arabic-language university textbook developed for fourth-year undergraduate students in Telecommunications Engineering.