Image: Brian MacNamee
Insight’s CEO said MacNamee has distinguished himself as ‘one of Ireland’s leading machine learning and AI scientists’ over the years.
Dr Brian MacNamee has been appointed site director for the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Insight Research Centre for Data Analytics in University College Dublin (UCD).
MacNamee received a PhD in computer science from Trinity College Dublin in 2004 and has held various research and industry positions since. He joined UCD in 2015 and is an associate professor and co-director of the SFI Centre for Research Training in Machine Learning.
His research focuses on interactive machine learning methods that place people at the centre of training AI models. This research also explores the applications of machine learning in various fields such as agriculture, space, medicine and virtual reality.
“I am very excited to take on this new role,” MacNamee said. “I welcome the opportunity to continue collaborating with and supporting the amazing group of researchers working with Insight at UCD.
“I also look forward to collaboratively defining the research challenges in artificial intelligence and data science that we will address in the coming years.”
While working in the Dublin Institute of Technology – now known as Technological University Dublin – MacNamee co-founded the Applied Intelligence Research Centre and was a founding co-principal investigator at the Enterprise Ireland CeADAR Technology Centre.
MacNamee is also chair of the Artificial Intelligence Association of Ireland and the director of training at Krisolis, an Irish data analytics training and consultancy company.
Insight’s CEO Prof Noel O’Connor welcomed the appointment and said MacNamee has “distinguished himself as one of Ireland’s leading machine learning and AI scientists”.
“His work has focused on advancing the underlying fundamental theory of AI and the translation of this into practice to benefit both industry and public stakeholders,” O’Connor said. “The future of Insight at UCD is in good hands.”
In 2023, Prof Tomás Ward was chosen as the new director of Insight’s Dublin City University branch. The year prior, Prof Edward Curry was appointed as the new director of its University of Galway branch.
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