WORLD-LEADING CYBERSECURITY EXPERT ASSIGNED REGIUS PROFESSORSHIP  

21 January 2020

World-leading cybersecurity expert Professor Máire O’Neill has been assigned a rare and prestigious Regius Professorship by the Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast.

The esteemed award, which is Northern Ireland’s first, was bestowed on Queen’s in 2016 by Her Majesty The Queen to recognise exceptionally high quality research in Electronics and Computer Engineering.

An honour granted only by the sovereign, Regius Professorships recognise research excellence and celebrate its key role in driving growth and productivity.

Professor O’Neill, who is the youngest ever engineering professor at Queen’s, is Interim Director of the University’s Institute for Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT). She is also Principal Investigator of the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) and Director of the UK Research Institute in Secure Hardware and Embedded Systems (RISE).

Professor Ian Greer, Vice-Chancellor of the University, commented: “I am delighted that Professor Máire O’Neill has been awarded this Regius Professorship.

“Under Professor O’Neill’s leadership, researchers at ECIT have made great strides in making the changing global digital space more secure, connected and intelligent. They are continually developing cutting-edge solutions and accelerating their adoption by industry through substantial innovation activities.”

Professor Greer added: “As a truly world class university, Queen’s is making a positive impact right across the globe in solving current and emerging global challenges.

“The Regius Professorship is a very rare privilege and significant accolade, which is a reflection of the exceptionally high quality of research, innovation and research translation at ECIT.”

Professor O’Neill is widely regarded as one of Europe’s leading cryptography experts and the inventor of a high-speed silicon security chip that is used in more than 100 million TV set-top boxes. Her current work focuses on the design of novel security solutions for communications applications.

Accepting the award, Professor O’Neill said: “I am deeply honoured to be appointed to Regius Professor at Queen’s.

“I look forward to leading the team at ECIT in our exciting future plans to create a multi-disciplinary Global Innovation Institute, as part of the Belfast Region City Deal.”

Professor O’Neill succeeds Professor Sir John McCanny in holding the Regius Professorship in Electronics and Computer Engineering, following his retirement in 2017.

The Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT) is a Global Research Institute of Queen’s University, Belfast.

Operating under the agenda-setting theme of “Secure Connected Intelligence”, ECIT is a globally recognised interdisciplinary institute, driven by research excellence, solving societal challenges and delivering impact through a unique model of open innovation.

A copy of the 2016 Royal Warrant can be viewed, in full, here.

Media enquiries to Emma Gallagher at Queen’s University Communications Office, telephone: +44 (0)28 9097 3087.

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