About Me

My Research

My current research under the TRAIL MSCA project investigates the intersection of explainability, human-robot interaction and knowledge representation. Driving this research is a fundamental desire to understand cognitive processes, be it the decision-making of the robot or the estimation of a human's abilities and processes (user modelling and theory of mind). I am particularly interested in understanding how humans (who are messy and complicated) can be made sense of by an agent, and how we as humans can adapt the way we teach and collaborate with agents. This interest is visible in some of my earliest publications from my MSc, which looked at humans advising agents through advice, and how models of the human teachers can also for better utilisation of that advice.

Feel free to peruse my publications.

Other Work

Aside from my research career, I have also worked as a lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, where I taught a number of 3rd-year Software Design courses, which taught the fundamentals of software design including requirements gathering, object-oriented programming, testing methodologies, architecture and design patterns. I also taught a part-time 1st-year course on basic computer organisation, covering fundamental topics such as binary representations, Boolean algebra and low-level programming.

I have also worked as a freelance back-end developer.

Beyond Work

Outside of work, one of my greatest passions is music, and I have played various musical instruments all my life. I consider my main instrument to be the trombone, in which I achieved an ABRSM Grade 8 with distinction, and have played the trombone for performances with the Phoenix Big Band, St John's College Choir, the WA Mozart Choir, the Rand Symphony Orchestra, the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra, Off the Record and the UP Youth Choir.

Aside from the trombone, I have achieved varying levels of proficiency with the bodhrán, penny whistle and guitar, and have dabbled in plenty of the multitude of other instruments that I have lying around.

My other interests include cooking, TTRPGs, history, linguistics, sustainable living and mutual aid.