Elyas Al-Amri

Cybersecurity Research Intern - QCRI

Completed a 4-month cybersecurity research internship at Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) under the supervision of Dr. Fatih Deniz, where I focused on identifying patterns in OpenQA models for enhanced security analysis. Developed a system by which LLMs can determine malicious prompts and recognize patterns to detect vulnerabilities and potential security threats in OpenQA models.

QCRI Cybersecurity Research

Invent for the Planet 2025

Won local competition at Texas A&M Qatar for the second consecutive year, along with Best Prototype and Best Video, demonstrating consistent innovation excellence. Our solution addressed low electricity generation in costal areas by creating a buoyancy-powered motor that harnesses wave energy. Advanced to the global round at College Station where we secured 2nd place overall.

Presenting at IFTP 2025 Local Round

Fetal Anomaly Detection Algorithm (FADA)

Secured research funding from American University Beirut under Dr. Mahmod Al-Zubaidi to continue development of FADA, furthering advancing its capabilities and uses. Working on improving the algorithm's accuracy, expanding the dataset with regional medical data, and preparing for clinical trials.

FADA User Interface

Solar Guard App - Student Innovation Funding

Received Student Innovation Funding for the second time, now for Solar Guard App, an intelligent solar panel monitoring and optimization system. The app uses IoT sensors and machine learning to maximize energy efficiency and predict maintenance needs.

Solar Guard Monitoring Dashboard

SIAM Mathematics Paper Submission

Submitted a mathematics paper to the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), which was about evaluating combinatorial approaches to nested loop counting

Community Development Advisor - Education City Male Housing

Research Assistant - Kurban Intelligence Labs

Joined Kurban Intelligence Labs at Texas A&M Qatar as a research assistant. Worked on optimizing access point allocation in wireless networks using machine learning techniques.

QRDI Rising Innovators Award Winner

Won the prestigious Qatar Research Development and Innovation (QRDI) Rising Innovators Award, at the Qatar Web Summit 2025, for proposing an AI-based triage system, which would improve emergency room efficiency and patient care.

Invent for the Planet 2024

Won 1st place and Best Prototype award at Invent for the Planet 2024 at Texas A&M Qatar. Our team developed an innovative solution addressing global challenges, demonstrating technical excellence and creative problem-solving. This victory at the local level qualified our team to present at the global round in Aix-en-Provence, France.

IFTP 2024 1st Place Winners

FADA - Student Innovation Funding Recipient

Received Student Innovation Funding for the Fetal Anomaly Detection Algorithm (FADA) project. This medical AI initiative aimed to improve prenatal care through early detection of fetal anomalies using deep learning and ultrasound image analysis. The project involved running localization algorithms on ultrasound images to identify segments of interest, followed by a number of calculations that determine the likelihood of anomalies. This work laid the foundation for continued research that would later receive funding from American University Beirut in 2025.

Peer Tutor - Texas A&M Qatar

Joined the Center for Teaching and Learning at Texas A&M Qatar as a Peer Tutor, helping fellow students excel in mathematics, programming, engineering, electrical, physics, and statistics courses. I really enjoyed teaching; I would actively choose to tutor double the number of subjects that of other tutors, and I believe it helped me reinforce my own understanding of these subjects as well.

Throughout this position, I tutored students in calculus, linear algebra, electric circuit theory, Python language, and C language, helping them grasp complex concepts through simplified explanations. I developed supplementary learning materials and practice problems tailored to different learning levels and styles. This position also honed my ability to communicate technical ideas effectively.

SRC President of Undergraduates

Elected as President of Undergraduates at the Student Representative Council (SRC) at HBKU. This leadership role involved representing the entire undergraduate student body and bridging communication between students and university administration. We organized the biggest event on the Education City campus, the annual Ramadan celebration, hosting over 500 attendees.

Started at Hamad Bin Khalifa University

Began my Computer Engineering journey at HBKU through the Texas A&M at Qatar partnership program. The rigorous curriculum and world-class faculty provided an excellent foundation in both theoretical computer science and practical engineering principles. Received an academic scholarship by the end of the 2022-2023 academic year in recognition of outstanding academic performance.

Hamad Bin Khalifa University

Texas A&M University at Qatar

FIFA World Cup 2022 Volunteer

Had my first paid job. Served on the hospitality team during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the most significant global event hosted in the region. I gained very valuable experience from this. Didn't really get to watch a single match unfortunately, but the experience was worth it.

Software Development Internship - Yemensoft

Completed a comprehensive software development internship at Yemensoft (yes, before I even entered university), where I gained hands-on experience in enterprise application development. This internship marked the transition from learning fundamentals to applying skills in real-world projects. My main role was to work with legacy codebases and very specific client requirements, in addition to creating alternatives to paid services (e.g., WhatsApp business API). Main technologies used included C and Javascript.

Learning and Exploration Phase

My journey actually started because of a very known game: Minecraft. In fact, I can almost count back all the things I like about Computer Engineering to this game. My focus shifted to programing as I was trying to learn how to extend the game capability. After two months, I gained OOP-level of knowledge about programing but then moved to other matters.

I went on a phases exploring stuff like Photoshop, 3D graphics design like Maya and 3D Studio Max, game development with Unity and Unreal (mostly Unity afterwards), music composition with FL Studio and Ableton Live which also made me a piano hobbyist. Though I liked all those fields, I saw myself excel in programing the most, as I was more math oriented.

And though I selected programing as my main career, I realized overall one thing:

One challenge that epitomized my determination during this period was a Codewars kata called “Tiptoe through circles”: A deceptively simple problem that took me 52 days to solve. Every day, I would work hard on this challenge, trying different perspectives to find the correct approach, devising equations, visualizing different scenarios, and testing edge cases. And as the problem was in C++, I had to utilize other languages I knew to prototype and visualize my ideas before implementing them in C++, so I ended up combining code from C++, C#, and Unity, and after 1000 lines of code, and another 1000 for tests, I submitted a solution that passed all test cases first try.

I hold this to this day my greatest testament to perseverance and problem-solving, and I consider this the moment I moved from being a mediocre programmer to a good one.

Tiptoe Through Circles