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Sara Abbas

Overview of thesis

My research designs and validates a governance artefact for trustworthy AI adoption in critical infrastructure, grounded in operational environments and evaluated against established regulatory and cybersecurity standards. Drawing on Design Science Research (DSR) methodology, the research integrates explainable AI (XAI), AI assurance principles, and cyber-physical systems security to construct a governance framework that addresses the critical gap between rapid AI adoption and the absence of operationally grounded governance criteria in high-stakes environments. The expected outcome is an evidence-based framework applicable across OT/IT convergence environments, offering practical guidance for responsible and accountable AI deployment in sectors where failure carries significant public safety consequences.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Information Technology, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia (2026-Present)
  • MS in Software Engineering, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan (2023-2025)

Research

Research Interests

  • Cybersecurity & Operational Technology
  • Critical Infrastructure Security
  • Trustworthy & Responsible AI
  • AI Governance & Accountability
  • Cyber-Physical Systems
  • Explainable AI (XAI)
  • Safety-Critical AI Engineering

Other work

  • Nov 2024 – Jan 2026: Associate, Operations, GrayOak Capital Partners, Canada

Scholarships and Awards

  • 2026 – Vice-Chancellor’s Professorial Research Fellow Scholarship (ECU)
  • 2026 – Conference Support Team, 41st IFIP SEC Conference, Perth, Australia
  • 2025 4th International Conference on Recent Trends in Multidisciplinary Research (ERU-USA)
  • 2022 – Digital South Punjab CISCO Systems Contributor Award (IUB)

Supervisors

  • Dr. Ahmad Mohsin
  • Dr. Iqbal H Sarker
  • Prof. Helge Janicke

Contact

Sara Abbas
PhD Student
School of Science
Email: sara.abbas@ecu.edu.au

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