Konpal Ali

Konpal Ali

Assistant Professor

Location: UW2-323
Email: ksali@uw.edu

Background

Dr. Konpal Ali received her BS in Electrical Engineering from Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and both her MS and PhD in Electrical Engineering from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). Before joining the University of Washington Bothell, she served as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Manitoba and then at New York University (NYU) Abu Dhabi. Her research focuses on wireless communication, specifically the physical layer, with an emphasis on the performance analysis, optimization, and design of large wireless networks that accurately model real-world scenarios.

Research

Ali utilizes stochastic geometry tools to model large wireless networks and analyze their performance. This approach provides insights into the design of current and future wireless networks, enabling the efficient and effective deployment of new technologies. With the growing communication demands in the 5th and 6th generations (5G and 6G), her work emphasizes efficient spectrum reuse technologies such as device-to-device (D2D) communication, full duplex, non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), and partial-NOMA. She has also researched the deployment of intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRSs) to enhance wireless communication.

In 6G networks, the goal extends beyond achieving high data rates to include the ability to sense and detect environmental conditions. Recent research by Ali has focused on integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) using dual function radar and communication (DFRC) base stations, which aim to reuse the spectrum for both sensing and communication simultaneously.

Additionally, she is interested in physical layer security, investigating its application in the context of interference correlation, NOMA, and partial-NOMA. Another area of focus is the application of machine learning techniques to address complex problems in resource allocation and parameter selection for large wireless networks. Her research also explores the meta distribution, which provides fine-grained information on percentile performance, particularly in the context of next-generation wireless technologies.

Courses

  • EE 341A Discrete Time Linear Systems
  • EE 517A Wireless Communications I
  • EE 235A Continuous Time Linear Systems
  • EE 518A Wireless Communications II

Education

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology – Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
Ph.D. – Electrical Engineering
M.S. – Electrical Engineering

Lahore University of Management Sciences – Lahore, Pakistan
B.S. – Electrical Engineering