Research & Interest Areas

Next Generation of Backhaul/Fronthaul Networks
    Scope of Research
  • FSO-based vertical fronthaul framework (UAV-based fronthaul solution).
  • Backhaul relaxation techniques and approaches for small cells by exploiting Cloud-RAN and Split Control/Data Planes infrastructure using SDN.
  • Efficient backhaul/fronthaul design in hyper-dense small-cell networks such as comparison of decentralized/centralized compressions, quantization and encoding approaches and usability of mm-wave.

    • Representative Publications:
  • M. Alzenad, M. Z Shakir, H. Yanikomeroglu, and M.-S. Alouini, "FSO-based vertical fronthaul/backhaul framework for 5G+ systems," IEEE Communs. Mag., Special Issue on 5GRAN, submitted, Feb. 2016.

  • Y. Qi, M. Z. Shakir, K. A. Qaraqe, M. A. Imran, and R. Tafazolli, "Backhaul traffic compression for cloud radio access network (C-RAN)," Wiley Trans. Emerging Technologies (ETT), Mar. 2016.

  • M. Z. Shakir, M. Imran, X. Wang, et al. "Smart fronthauling and backhauling for 5G systems: from precoding to network architecture," in IEEE Wireless Communications Magazine, vol. 22, no. 5, pp. 10 - 12, Oct. 2015.

  • Z. Gao, L. Dai, D. Mi, Z. Wang, M. A. Imran, and M. Z. Shakir, "Mm-Wave massive MIMO based wireless backhaul for 5G ultra-dense networks," in IEEE Wireless Communications Magazine, vol. 22, no. 5, pp. 13 - 21, Oct. 2015.


Device Centric Communication Technologies for 5G
    Scope of Research
  • Devices-to-device (Ds2D) communication to improve the energy efficiency and battery life of mobile devices involved in device centric communication paradigms (Interface selection and packet distribution).
  • Characterize of intracell interference in D2D underlay network by exploiting inhomogeneous and spatially correlated distribution of MTs.
  • A unified framework for caching based on content availability, mobile connectivity and content request in device centric networks by exploiting Copulas.

    • Representative Publications:
  • H. Mustafa, M. Z. Shakir, A. R. Ekti, M. A. Imran, and R. Tafazoli, "Intracell interference characterization and cluster inference for D2D communication," IEEE Trans. Wireless Communs., submitted, Mar. 2016.

  • M. Z. Shakir, M. Ismail, E. Serpedin, and K. A. Qaraqe, "From D2D to Ds2D: Prolonging the battery life of mobile devices via Ds2D communications in 5G network," in IEEE Communs. Mag, submitted, Dec. 2015.

  • H. Mustafa, M. Z. Shakir, K. A. Qaraqe, and M. A. Imran, "Coverage Gain and Device-to-Device User Density: Stochastic Geometry Modeling and Analysis," in IEEE Letters Communications, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 1742-1745, Oct. 2015.

  • M. Ismail, M. Z. Shakir, E. Serpedin, and K. A. Qaraqe, "Efficient selection of source devices and radio interfaces for green Ds2D communications," in Proc. IEEE Wireless Communs. and Networking Conf., IEEE WCNC'2016, Doha, Qatar, Apr. 2016.


Green HetNets
    Scope of Research
  • Energy efficient deployment of small-cells in existing cellular network
  • Energy economic and ecology analysis of future generation of mobile networks
  • Capacity enhancements and interference reduction perspectives of advanced heterogeneous networks (analytical frameworks and generalized solutions)

    • Representative Publications:
  • W. Tang, M. Z. Shakir, K. A. Qaraqe, M. A. Imran, and R. Tafazolli,"Energy and spectral efficient cognitive cellular network with uplink power adaptation," in Wiley Jour. Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing, accepted, Mar. 2016.

  • M. Z. Shakir, H. Tabassum, K. Qaraqe, E. Serpedin, and M.-S. Alouini, "Spectral and energy efficiency analysis of uplink heterogeneous network with cells on edge", in Elsevier Jour. PHYCOM Special Issue on Heterogeneous Smallcell Networks, May 2014.

  • M. Z. Shakir, H. Tabassum, M. A. Imran, K. Qaraqe, E. Serpedin, and M.-S. Alouini, "Green Heterogeneous small-cell networks: toward reducing the CO2 emissions of mobile communication industry via uplink power adaptation", in IEEE Mag. Communs., vol. 51, no 6, pp. 52-61, Jun. 2013.

  • Y. A. Sambo, M. Z. Shakir, M. A. Imran, K. A. Qaraqe, and E. Serpedin, "Spectral efficiency analysis of K-Tier HetNets", in Proc. IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking Conf., IEEE WCNC'2014, Istanbul, Turkey, Apr. 2014.

Cognitive Cellular Systems for future networks
    Scope of Research
  • Spectrum sensing, transmission design and their implementations
  • Signaling over Cognitive Radio (SCORE) and Signaling over IP (SoIP) in cognitive cellular systems
  • Capacity increment, energy optimization and interference management for advanced cognitive cellular systems

    • Representative Publications:
  • F. Reategui, M. Z. Shakir, M. A. Imran, K. A. Qaraqe, and R. Tafazolli, "On a type of broadcast interference channel and the capacity of the cognitive interference channel with common information," in IEEE Trans. Cognitive Communs., and Networking, under second round of revision, Feb. 2016.

  • N. Rahimian, M. Z. Shakir, and K. Qaraqe and C. N. Georghiades, "A probabilistic model of user activity and spectrum occupancy for OFDMA based cognitive radio systems: spectrum occupancy and system throughput perspectives", in IEEE Trans. Wireless Communs., vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 974-983, Jan. 2014.

  • M. Z. Shakir, A. Rao, and M.-S. Alouini, "Generalized mean detectors (GMD) for collaborative spectrum sensing", in IEEE Trans. Communs., vol. 61, no. 4, pp. 1242-1253, Mar. 2013.

  • M. Z. Shakir, A. Rao, and M.-S. Alouini, "On the decision threshold of eigenvalue ratio detector based on moments of joint and marginal distributions of extreme eigenvalues", in IEEE Trans. Wireless Communs., vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 974-983, Jan. 2013.

Cellular Coverage Expansion and cell edge deployment

    Scope of Research
  • Deployment and integration of multiple radio access technologies at the cell edge (femto, DAS, Relay)
  • Backhaul and front haul implications for cell edge technologies
  • Viability of Green cell edge technology in terms of energy, capacity and interferences

    • Representative Publications:
  • Y. A. Sambo, M. Z. Shakir, K. A. Qaraqe, M. A. Imran, and E. Serpedin, "Expanding cellular coverage via small-cell deployment in heterogeneous networks: spectral efficiency and backhaul power consumption", in IEEE Communs. Mag, Special Issue on Smart Device-to-Smart Device Communs., vol. 52, no. 6, pp. 140-149, Jun. 2014.

  • M. Z. Shakir, H. Tabassum and M.-S. Alouini, "Analytical bound on the area spectral efficiency of the two tier Heterogeneous networks over generalized fading channels", in IEEE Trans. Vehicular Technology, vol. 63, no. 5, pp. 2306-2318, Jun. 2014.

  • M. Z. Shakir, and M.-S. Alouini, "On the area spectral efficiency improvement of Heterogeneous networks by exploiting integration of macro-femto cellular networks", in Proc. IEEE Intl. Conf. Communs., ICC'2011, Ottawa, Canada, Jun. 2012.

  • H. Tabassum, M. Z. Shakir, and M.-S. Alouini, "On the Area green Efficiency (AGE) of Heterogeneous networks", in Proc. Intl. Conf. Global Communs., GLOBECOM'2012, Anaheim, California, USA, Dec., 2012.

Cellular Traffic offloading and related technologies

    Scope of Research
  • Design of location, time and application oriented cellular traffic offloading mechanisms
  • Cognitive classification of cellular traffic and their offloading over Wi-Fi, licensed and unlicensed LTE, small cells and D2D communications
  • Mobility and Handovers in excess boundary based heterogeneous networks with multiple radio technologies

    • Representative Publications:
  • Invited paper: A. Ekti, M. Z. Shakir, K. A. Qaraqe, M. A. Imran, and E. Serpedin, "Traffic offloading technologies in 5G cellular networks," Springer Journal Signal and Systems special issue on SP for Ultra High Performance and High Efficiency in 5G Mobile Networks, Oct. 2015.

  • S. Hu, M. Z. Shakir, and X. Wang, "A MIH and SDN-based framework for network selection in 5G HetNet: backhaul requirement perspectives," in IEEE International Conf. Communications, IEEE ICC'2015, London, UK, Jun. 2015.

  • H. Mustafa, M. Z. Shakir, Y. Sambo, K. A. Qaraqe, E. Serpedin, and M. A. Imran, "Spectral efficiency improvements in HetNet by exploiting smart Device-to-Deice communications," IEEE Global Communication Conference, Exhibition and Industrial Forum, GLOBECOM'2014, Austin, TX, USA, Dec. 2014.


Smart Connected Healthcare Networks

    Scope of Research
  • Cloud-enabled WBAN and Internet of smart connected remote healthcare applications and services in 5G
  • End-to-end virtualized smart platforms for big health data to facilitate person-centered healthcare
  • Self-monitoring and self-reconfiguration person-centered health management via collaborative smart Internet-of-Things enabled wearable systems

    • Representative Publications:
  • T. Hayajneh, M. Z. Shakir, K. A. Qaraqe, M. A. Imran, and A. Vasilakos, "Security and privacy in cloud-enabled WBAN 5G," submitted to IEEE Network, submitted, Aug. 2014.

  • Y. Qi, M. Z. Shakir, K. A. Qaraqe, M. A. Imran, et. al., "A survey on 5G architectures: IoT driven applications, Interference management and emerging features," submitted to IEEE Tutorials and Surveys, submitted, Aug. 2014.

  • A. Al-Qahtani, M. Z. Shakir, K. A. Qaraqe, "Self-Monitoring and self-reconfiguration of human behavior under variety of daily-life stress conditions by collaborative smart internet-of-things driven systems," in Annual Research Conference, ARC'2014, Doha, Qatar.

Technology for Engineering Education

    Scope of Research
  • Technology driven interactive and collaborative learning in engineering classrooms
  • New techniques and methods to support enquiry based learning in engineering classrooms
  • Gender oriented demographic implications of engineering education and possible merit discrimination

    • Representative Publications:
  • M. Z. Shakir, S. Baig, M. A. Imran, S. I. Hussain, Q. H. Abbasi, and K. A. Qaraqe, "Heterogeneous ability-centered team building for useful enquiry based learning in engineering," in Proc. IEEE Global Engineering Conf., IEEE EDUCON'2014, Istanbul, Turkey, Apr. 2014.

  • A. Nasir, M. Z. Shakir, A. Sheharyar, K. Qaraqe, and O. Bouhali, "3D visualization to aid engineering education: a case study to visualize impact of wireless signals on human brain", in Proc. IEEE Global Engineering Conf., EDUCON'2014, Istanbul, Turkey, Apr. 2014.

  • S. D. Baig, M. Z. Shakir, and K. A. Qaraqe, "The dynamics of impediments to the flourishing of engineering as a career for women," in Proc. Intl. Conf. Interactive Collaborative Learning, ICL'2014, Dubai, UAE, Dec. 2014.
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