Amna Tiwana
Rising Star
What encouraged you to submit your application to the 2025 Postgraduate Research Publication of the Year?
I attended inspiring PPOY talks during the second year of my PhD, the same year I submitted my first GlobeCom paper. As GlobeCom is one of the two flagship conferences of the IEEE Communications Society, its acceptance represented a key milestone in my doctoral journey and motivated me to participate in PPOY 2025. The forum offered a valuable opportunity to share the impact of my research with peers and proved to be an incredibly rewarding experience overall.
What inspired you to choose the subject of your paper?
The next generation of wireless communications, namely 6G, is expected to redefine the role of wireless networks—not only as a communication medium but also as a powerful tool for environmental sensing. In this work, the feasibility of reducing the computational complexity associated with super‑resolution algorithms for two‑dimensional multi‑object sensing, while introducing a low‑complexity integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) architecture based on a recently proposed waveform developed at Tyndall, known as orthogonal chirp division multiplexing (OCDM), was explored. The proposed algorithm serves as a stepping stone towards practical 2D object sensing, enabling resolution beyond the classical limits imposed by conventional Fourier transform.
What’s your paper about and how did you prepare for it? What role did research leadership play in your approach?
This paper addresses two primary objectives: (i) overcoming the limitations of conventional one‑dimensional (1D) resolution algorithms for multi‑target detection scenarios, and (ii) exploiting the pulse‑compression and orthogonality properties of the chirp‑based waveform OCDM, developed at Tyndall, within an ISAC framework.
Although super‑resolution techniques can surpass classical Rayleigh resolution limits, their applicability in practical systems is often constrained by high computational complexity, particularly for joint range‑velocity estimation of multiple targets. To address this challenge, we proposed a reduced‑complexity two‑dimensional (2D) detection framework that circumvents the need for conventional 2D super‑resolution processing. Specifically, the proposed approach decomposes the joint estimation problem into structured 1D operations, thereby mitigating polynomial complexity growth while ensuring synchronized range‑velocity pairing. Furthermore, by leveraging the eigen structure of the OCDM waveform, the method enables efficient radar signal processing with lower computational overhead compared to traditional Fourier‑based ISAC implementations.
Research leadership played a key role in shaping the problem formulation and methodological choices. By identifying computational bottlenecks and estimation ambiguities in both classical and state‑of‑the‑art approaches, I defined a strategy focused on complexity reduction without compromising sensing performance. This involved making informed trade‑offs between algorithmic efficiency, sensing accuracy, and implementation feasibility, while designing a simulation framework that modelled realistic wireless channel conditions, including multi‑target reflections and Doppler effects.
The selection for Research Publication of the Year is extremely competitive. What is your advice for those aspiring for nomination next year?
My advice to aspiring nominees is to view PPOY as a journey rather than just an outcome. It offers a valuable opportunity to step back, reflect on the true impact of your work, and communicate it clearly to researchers from diverse backgrounds at Tyndall. From identifying meaningful research gaps through a rigorous literature review, to achieving acceptance at a flagship conference, and finally articulating your contribution in the PPOY application, each stage helps sharpen both your research and your perspective. Focusing on clearly conveying why your work matters, highlighting its broader impact alongside technical rigor, can make a meaningful difference.
What is the single most significant support Tyndall has been able to offer you in achieving your research goals?
The most significant support Tyndall has provided in achieving my research goals is access to both advanced wireless communication toolboxes and state‑of‑the‑art RF testbeds, which are essential for designing and validating next‑generation algorithms through proof‑of‑concept implementations. This combination allowed me to bridge theoretical development with practical experimentation. In addition, the flexibility and trust extended by my lead and co‑supervisors in defining and pursuing my research direction enabled me to work independently and confidently within my research domain. Together, these technical resources and supervisory support created an environment that allowed me to fully develop and realize my research vision.
View Amna’s research publication here ‘A Computationally Efficient 2D-root MUSIC Parameter Estimation for OCDM-based RadCom’.