Dr Ibrahim Abdulhadi
PhDLead R&D Engineer
Ibrahim, a Lead R&D Engineer at PNDC and Senior Knowledge Exchange Fellow at the University of Strathclyde, leads the advancement of power networks team, driving innovation in future energy systems. With over a decade of expertise, he specialises in the experimental validation of smart grid technologies, focusing on testing, protection, and digital substation applications requiring accurate time synchronisation.
Dr Priya Bhagavathy
CEng MIET SMIEEELead R&D Engineer
Priya is a Chartered Engineer with 15+ years of experience in energy system. As a Lead R&D Engineer in Whole Energy System, her key role is to develop and deliver a portfolio of technical research and innovation projects in whole energy system and Hydrogen. Her research focusses on the integration of heat and transport into the electricity vector and the role of hydrogen in the transition to net-zero.
Dr Abdulrahman Babagana Buji
MIEEE MNSER&D Engineer
Abdulrahman is an R&D Engineer at PNDC, specialising in power systems, protection and validation. He completed his PhD at the University of Strathclyde in the Dynamic Power System Laboratory (DPSL), where his research focused on disturbance identification, voltage regulation and load shedding in DC microgrids. Before his PhD, he gained experience in measurement and instrumentation. Abdulrahman is also a member of the Advanced Power and Control team at PNDC.
Dr Kinan Ghanem
CEng MIET SMIEEELead R&D Engineer
As a Senior R&D Engineer with 20 years of experience in communications technologies, Kinan leads the Communications & Cyber Security innovation theme at PNDC, accelerating the development and deployment of novel communications systems and solutions for the smart grid in collaboration with government, industry and academia. He holds a Masters and PhD in communications engineering. His main hobbies are walking and volleyball.
Dr Kyle Jennett
PhD MEngLead R&D Engineer
As a lead R&D engineer at PNDC and Senior Knowledge Exchange Fellow at the University of Strathclyde, Kyle leads the Future Control Room innovation theme, accelerating the development and deployment of innovative power networks and control systems. His research interests include real-time simulation, ship power systems, distribution ancillary services, and future power systems encompassing converter interfaces and energy storage.
Akshaya Akshaya
MSc MIETAssistant R&D Engineer
Akshaya holds an MSc in Future Power Networks from Imperial College London and a Bachelor of Technology in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, India. She currently works as an Assistant Research and Development Engineer at PNDC, where she focuses on advancing power networks. Her work involves the Future Control Room, Demand-Side Management, and the pivotal transition to DSO.
Andreas Avras
MEng MIETR&D Engineer
Andreas is a smart grid research engineer working within the Advanced Power and Control Systems team. His research areas include Naval Powers Systems, Energy Storage Systems, Grid Forming Converters, Geographically Distributed Real-time Simulations (GD-RTS), and Power Hardware in the Loop (PHIL). Andreas has co-authored several research papers, including the experimental assessment and validation of inertial behaviour of virtual synchronous machines.
Dr Soumia Ayyadi
PhDR&D Engineer
Soumia has 6 years in developing EV smart charging strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of EV charging on the electrical network. Soumia investigates the future of power systems with high EV numbers, the optimal location to install the EV infrastructure by considering the EV user’s behaviour and the headroom of the electrical network also how DNOs can use EVs as a key part of the transition to net zero.
Dr Anish Babu
PhDR&D Engineer
Anish is an experienced research engineer working within the Electrification of Transport team. His current research focusses on electric vehicle charging infrastructure, demand side response and energy storage systems, working towards transition to net zero. Anish did his Masters and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, focussing on measurement and instrumentation, sensors and wireless power transfer.
Edward Corr
Senior R&D Engineer
Edward leads up the asset management theme at PNDC. His research interests include full scale integration testing, de-risking novel network equipment, widescale data capture, LVDC applications, asset life assessment and the behaviour of conventional network equipment in future operating scenarios. Edward has a masters in Electrical and Mechanical engineering and his PhD studies considered the behaviour of partial discharge activity under DC conditions.
Allan Downie
Senior R&D Engineer
Allan received a BEng (Hons) 1st class in Electronic and Electrical Engineering in July 2016 from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK. As an R&D engineer at PNDC, Allan is part of the MOD research program and a member of the Advanced Power and Controls team. His research interests include power system analysis and modelling, real time simulation, energy storage and power hardware in the loop studies.
Dr Calum Mackinnon
PhD MEng MIET MIEEER&D Engineer
Calum’s PhD investigates condition monitoring approaches for high voltage direct current systems for baseload interconnection, with a focus on capacitors. He is a software engineer by background with 5 years’ industry experience, and has interests in the translation of information technology to the energy sector. Calum is a member of continuous improvement, outreach, and interdisciplinary professional networks, and in his free time enjoys the outdoors, reading, and travel.
Joseph Melone
Senior R&D Engineer
Joe is part of the Whole Energy Systems team at PNDC, currently focussing on developing model power distribution networks and systems using PNDC’s real time digital simulator system, and delivering unique testing capability for the diverse technical solutions which will be integrated in the low carbon energy system of the future. In his free time he enjoys playing saxophone and piano.
Dr Christantus O. Nnamani
PhD MIEEE MIETSenior R&D Engineer
Chris is an Electronic Engineer with 10+ years’ experience and 2 PhDs from the University of Nigeria Nsukka and Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. He previously worked on several UKRI-funded research and development projects. At PNDC, Chris is part of the Digital Substation and Protection and Control innovation themes, where he collaborates with industries on virtualisation, security and resource management of smart grid technologies.
Dr Max Parker
EngD MEng MIETSenior R&D Engineer
Max leads the Power Electronics, Machines & Drives (PEMD) innovation theme, accelerating the development and deployment of low carbon technologies and propulsion systems within PNDC’s Decarbonisation of Transport focus area. He joined PNDC in 2021, following 10 years in academic research on the main university campus, in a variety of fields relating to power electronics including wind and marine energy, and DC transmission and distribution systems.
Dr Callum Rae
PhD MEng MIETSenior R&D Engineer
Callum is a mechanical engineer with a background in decarbonised energy systems evaluation. Since completing his PhD in 2016, he has developed his knowledge and expertise through working in consultancy and academia. As a senior R&D Engineer in PNDC’s Whole Energy Systems team, his role focuses on the testing, development and deployment of innovative decarbonised heating systems and technologies.
Samir Soares
PhDR&D Engineer
Samir completed his PhD at the University of Nottingham, working across the Departments of Architecture and the Built Environment and Mechanical Engineering. His research focused on modelling pathways to decarbonise heating in rural and remote UK home microgrids, and working with hydrogen energy systems, particularly solid state hydrogen storage.