ECS welcomes Dr Ihab Zaqout from the Al-Azhar University in Gaza

The School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) is pleased to announce that Dr Ihab Zaqout has joined the school as an Associate Professor. Dr Ihab Zaqout is Head of Department of Information Technology at Al-Azhar University in Gaza. Due to the ongoing conflict, he and his family have sought refuge, and ECS is honoured to host him at the University of Southampton. With the support of Diana Eccles, Dean of Medicine, and Michael Butler, Dean of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Dr Zaqout has been appointed to a 24-month Associate Professor position funded jointly by the University and the Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA). 

Dr Zaqout's research is centred on applying Artificial Intelligence techniques in healthcare imaging, focusing on breast cancer detection and classification. He will be based in the Digital Health and Biomedical Engineering research group in ECS led by Prof Age Chapman. His work will support the Engineering Better Health University theme and AI@Southampton initiatives. 

CARA, the Council for At-Risk Academics, is dedicated to supporting academics at risk due to conflict or persecution. This initiative aligns with the University's commitment to sanctuary seekers, for which it has been recognised as a University of Sanctuary. 

Professor Timothy Norman, Head of ECS, remarked, "We are delighted to welcome Dr Ihab Zaqout to our school, where he can continue his important work on AI for health. We look forward to him contributing to the thriving interdisciplinary research community established across Medicine and ECS and working with us to have positive impact on people’s lives."