Mohammad GhasemiGol
Title: Research Assistant Professor
Institution: Old Dominion University
Node affiliation: Coastal Virginia
EMAIL: mghasemi@odu.edu

Research Focus:
Over 10 years of experience in the fields of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) with a passion with a focus on network hardening, incident handling, alert management, cybersecurity maturity models, and data analysis with Machine Learning and Reinforcement Learning models. His Ph.D. work focused on alert management and intrusion response systems.
Bio:
Mohammad GhasemiGol has over 10 years of experience in the fields of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) with a passion for exploring innovative solutions to tackle various cybersecurity challenges. He completed his BS in Computer Engineering from Payame Noor University in 2006, and obtained his MS degree in Computer Engineering from the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (FUM) in 2009. During his master’s studies, he focused on applying machine learning models to address intrusion detection issues in computer networks. His deep interest in cybersecurity research led him to pursue a Ph.D. at FUM (2010-2016), where he specialized in alert management and intrusion response systems. In his doctoral thesis, he proposed a foresight intrusion response framework that aimed to develop response plans against intrusion alerts and potential attacks by considering the present and future states of the network. His work demonstrated the framework’s effectiveness in steering the network towards desired states while minimizing the cost of attacks and responses. During his Ph.D. studies, he had the opportunity to work with the Information Security and Privacy: Interdisciplinary Research and Education (INSPIRE) group at the University of North Texas (UNT) as a visiting scholar. At UNT, he engaged in research projects and explored the use of human bio-signals, such as EEG and ECG, to detect malicious activities and insider threats in computer networks.
In fall 2016, Mohammad joined the University of Birjand (UoB) in Iran as an assistant professor in the department of computer engineering. In this role, he continued his research in cybersecurity and AI, with a specific focus on network hardening, incident handling, alert management, cybersecurity maturity models, and data analysis projects with new Machine Learning (ML), and Reinforcement Learning (RL) models. He was also the director of the Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) and director of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) at UoB for more than 4 years.
In summer 2022, he joined Imperial College London as an associate researcher in the Resilient Information Systems Security (RISS) Group, as a part of cyber security competence for research and innovation (CONCORDIA) project. Subsequently, in December 2022, Mohammad moved to the US and began his new role as a research assistant professor in the College of Engineering & Mines at the University of North Dakota. In that capacity, he not only pursued his research endeavors in AI and cybersecurity but also led graduate students in their research direction and collaborated with faculty members to prepare several grant proposals for a variety of funding agencies.
Education:
Ph.D. Ferdowsi University of Mashand, 2016
Masters in Computer Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashand, 2009
Bachelors in Computer Engineering, Payame Noor University, 2006

COVA CCI is supported by the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative and funded through the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Contact: covacci@odu.edu
