About

João R. Campos

Assistant Professor, Department of Informatics Engineering, Universtiy of Coimbra

I received my B.Sc. in Informatics Engineering from the Coimbra Institute of Engineering (ISEC) in 2011, and in between 2015-2017 I finished the M.Sc. in Informatics Engineering, with a specialization in Intelligent Systems, at the University of Coimbra (UC). In 2022 I obtained my Ph.D., “Advanced Online Failure Prediction Through Machine Learning” from UC.

During my B.Sc., I started working full-time for an USA-based company, focused on software and framework development for web-based solutions. During this period, I worked with highly qualified teams, which provided me with essential tools and knowledge for professional software development, focused on excellence, paradigms, and processes. Later, I became responsible for various projects with high-profile companies and clients.

I started as a Teaching Assistant during my Ph.D., in 2020, and I am now an Assistant Professor at the Department of Informatics Engineering (DEI) at UC. I am a full member of the Software and Systems Engineering (SSE) group of the Centre for Informatics and Systems of the University of Coimbra (CISUC).

My research focuses on the domain of Intelligent Dependability. It is an overarching concept that covers leveraging and advancing state-of-the-art AI and ML solutions to improve systems' dependability and security. Despite the ubiquity of ML and the “plug-n-play” approach used by many, each problem is intrinsically different and requires engineered solutions. Currently, I focus on three research lines: dependability (e.g., using generative AI for supporting dependability research), safety (e.g., ensuring and improving safety attributes in AI-based safety-critical systems), and security (e.g., assessing the security of LLMs as well as leveraging LLMs for dependability and security improvement). For this I’ve created a working group, which I coordinate and supervise, that includes various Ph.D. students and Master’s students. I also often advise Ph.D. and M.Sc. thesis from other domains, on AI and ML matters.

I have authored and co-authored various publications in the top international peer-reviewed venues of the Dependability domain (e.g., IEEE TDSC, IEEE ISSRE), some of which distinguished as Best Paper Awards.

I have participated in several national and international R&D projects, funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and by the European Commission (e.g., AIDA - FCT, CMU - Portugal, ATMOSPHERE - H2020). I actively participate in various project proposals, at FCT and European levels, leveraging my background in AI/ML as well as Dependability and Security. Among the accepted proposals is NEXUS (35 partners with a 59M€ budget), of which I am the coordinator of WP7 (Cybersecurity and Cyberresilience services) at UC. I’m also the representative from CISUC in an astrophysics project, THOR-SR, funded by the European Space Agency (ESA).

If you are interested and would like to work with on any of these subjects send me an email, we usually have various open calls for research.

Research

Curriculum Vitae and Publications

You can find the complete list of my publications and other relevant CV details at CIENCIA VITAE or at ORCID

Experience

Academic Track

I started working in the private sector while I was still in the second year of my bachelor. Nonetheless, if anything, working professionally provided me a different perspective regarding the need to continue my studies. As such, I received my Bachelors' Degree in 2010 from the Coimbra Institute of Engineering, and in 2011 I enrolled in a specialized course of two years, in eCommerce. I then enrolled in a master in Informatics Engineering with a specialization in Intelligent Systems at the University of Coimbra. After finishing it in 2017 I enrolled in the doctoral program at full-time, on the subject of advanced Online Failure Prediction (OFP) through Machine Learning (ML), which I submmited in 2021.

Since 2020 I have also started teaching as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Informatics Engineering of the University of Coimbra.

Web Software Developer

For almost 10 years I worked as a software engineer for web systems, from client management to requirements and development. This provided me with a broad experience in the private sector, as well and instilled me the importance of good practices, the need for a cohesive team, the tools to objectively manage time and goals.

All these tools I acquired throughout the years allow me to conduct my research in an effective and productive fashion, which will hopefully lead to a fulfilling and significant Ph.D.

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