About Us

The Microwave Integrated Systems Laboratory (MISL) was founded in 2003 by Prof. Mike Cherniakov with one PhD and one MPhil student. Currently, we are the largest academic research team in the UK working in radar, remote sensing and signal processing.

Our team is a unique collaborative environment with 7 world-leading and early career academics, 3-5 honorary staff, 7-10 research fellows, 15-20 PhD students and many visiting researchers working alongside each other to deliver world-class cutting-edge research in the areas of space domain awareness, quantum enabled radar, synthetic aperture radar, sensors for situational awareness for ground, marine and aerospace autonomous platforms, forward scatter radar, and signal processing and AI-based cognitive sensing.

The multidisciplinary projects are delivered with UoB partners: School of Metallurgy & Materials, Quantum Technologies Hub for Sensors and Timing, Physics, Geography and our long term government and industrial partners, such as DSTL, QinetiQ, BAE Systems, Airbus, JLR, HORIBA MIRA, Rolls Royce and many others who make a unique advisory board with input into all modern and emerging areas of research.

Our annual turnover is typically £1-1.2m, comprised of grants as well as contracts from UKRI: EPSRC, IUK, BAE Systems, DASA, DSTL, Jaguar Land Rover, the European Commission, ESA, UK Space Agency and others.

MISL is led by Prof Marco Martorella (Head), Prof Mike Cherniakov (Founding Head) and Dr Michael Antoniou (Deputy Head).

Along with heads of the sub-groups Marco Martorella (RF and Space Sensing Group), Prof Marina Gashinova (Pervasive Sensing Group), Michael Antoniou (RF Sensing Systems Group), Dr Beth Jelfs (Signal Processing Group).

Our Early Career Academics are Dr Fatemeh Norouzian and Dr Chris Gilliam, who are establishing their own research directions in medical sensing, sensors scheduling, signal processing and THz sensing.

Dr Leah-Nani Alconcel, Associate Professor in Spacecraft Engineering at the School of Metallurgy and Materials, is an associated member, bringing Space and Satellite Technology expertise into the team.

For more details about the team see Our People