Dr Mahbuba Afrin is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences (EECMS) at Curtin University, where she is building a strong research profile at the intersection of artificial intelligence, networked robotics, edge computing, and IoT-enabled cyber-physical systems. Her research focuses on developing intelligent, resilient, and resource-efficient computing solutions for autonomous and connected environments, with applications spanning smart agriculture, emergency response, mental health, education, and robotic systems. Her work is supported by competitive research funding both as a lead and chief investigator and a growing portfolio of publications in high-quality journals and conferences, including IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Systems, IEEE Transactions on Network Science and Engineering, IEEE Internet of Things Journal, Future Generation Computer Systems, IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, CCGRID, ICWS and ICSOC.

Dr Afrin received her PhD from Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne in 2021 receiving CSIRO Data 61 Scholarship. Prior to joining Curtin in 2022, she held a Vice-Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for Women in STEMM at the University of Southern Queensland. She has also held academic positions at Victoria University, Monash University, Swinburne University of Technology, and United International University.

At Curtin, Dr Afrin coordinates large undergraduate and postgraduate computing units across Curtin’s global campuses and serves as Major Coordinator for the Master of Predictive Analytics (Internet of Things). She is also actively involved in research supervision, teaching, mentoring, and promoting diversity in STEM.

Her contributions have been recognised through a number of awards and distinctions, including the 2024 WiTWA Tech [+] Rising Star Award in STEMM Academia and Research, recognition as a Rising Star for Women in Data Science by the Australian Data Science Network, and selected as a finalist in the Early Career Researcher of the Year category for the 2025 Curtin Research Excellence and Impact Awards. She also contributes to research strategy, inclusion, and professional engagement through Curtin’s Research and Innovation Committee, the EECMS Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee, the EECMS Research Colloquium Committee, and leadership roles within the IEEE Communications Society and IEEE Women in Engineering in Western Australia. She is also an active reviewer for leading IEEE Transactions and journals and serves as a program committee member for prestigious international conferences.