Dr Madasar Ali Shah FHEA

Dr Madasar Ali Shah

School of Computer Science
Lecturer

Contact details

Dr Shah is a Lecturer in Computer Science focusing on the intersection of Software Engineering Generative AI and Formal Methods. They lead curriculum innovation in software engineering and employability, bridging the gap between formal academic theory and high-assurance industrial practice.

Qualifications

  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), 2024
  • PGCert in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, The University of Birmingham, 2024
  • PhD in Computer Science, The University of Birmingham, 2012
  • BEng in Computer Science, The University of Birmingham, 2006

Biography

Madasar is an Associate Professor at the University of Birmingham and a Guest Lecturer at the University of Oxford. Their career has been defined by a commitment to ensuring that the complex systems powering our modern world are reliable and verifiable.

As Head of Employability and Head of Year in Industry in the School of Computer Science Birmingham, they manage strategic partnerships with global industry leaders, including Google, Accenture, and Goldman Sachs. Dr Shah also led the successful accession of the University to the GCHQ/NCSC 'CyberFirst' scheme, creating vital pathways for the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

Madasar's academic journey began at the University of Birmingham, where they completed a PhD on automated test case generation for model transformations. This work addressed the critical challenge of validating the "compilers" of Model-Driven Engineering (MDE). Following their doctoral studies, they served as a Senior Researcher at the University of Oxford on the ALIGNED (H2020) and before that at The University of York on the MONDO (FP7) project.

Currently, their work focuses on AI-Assisted Formal Methods. They are developing "Verified-Vibe" applications, which leverage Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate formal specifications. This bridge allows non-experts to create high-assurance software where the code is proven to meet its specification.

Beyond research, Dr Shah is a passionate educator and academic leader. They are the creator of a state-of-the-art runtime visualisation tool used to help students build mental models of program execution.

Teaching

  • Databases and Web Programming (year 2 Undergraduate, University of Birmingham) – Module Lead
  • Software Workshop II (Postgraduate, University of Birmingham)
  • Team Project (year 2 Undergraduate, University of Birmingham)
  • Design Patterns (Postgraduate, University of Oxford) – Module Lead