Dr Paul Gardner-Stephen

Position/s:Research Fellow (Rural, Remote and Humanitarian Telecommunications)
School of Computer Science, Engineering and Mathematics
Phone: +61 8 82013138
Email:
Location: Information, Science & Technology (227)
Postal address: GPO Box 2100, Adelaide 5001, South Australia

Biography

Dr. Paul Gardner-Stephen views himself as the digital version of a blacksmith, crafting creative and skilled solutions to a wide range of problems. His research interests include, networking, scalable computing, mobile devices, mobile communication infrastructures, disaster and attack resilient technology, SPAM counter-measures and the application of these to make the world a better place.

Qualifications

  • PhD (Computer Systems Engineering / Bioinformatics), Flinders University (2007),
  • Bachelor of Science (Computer Science), Flinders University (2000).

Key responsibilities

  • Undertaking research in computer science and related fields, with a specific focus on the Serval Project, a humanitarian endeavour to make mobile telecommunications available to all people, regardless of income, location or disaster by allowing off-the-shelf cell phones to communicate directly without needing cell towers.
  • Contributing to the delivery of networking and communications topics within the School of Computer Science, Engineering & Mathematics.

Teaching

Topic Coordinator:

Research and supervision

Research expertise

  • Communications technologies
  • Computer software
  • Distributed computing
  • Other information and computing sciences

Research interests

Dr. Gardner-Stephen's research interests include SPAM, networking, scalable computing, mobile devices, mobile communication infrastructures, disaster and attack resilient technology, and the application of all these things to make the world a better place, and include:

The Serval Project: Telecommunications any where, any time.

  • Using OpenBTS as a basis for creating low-cost low-power GSM mobile telephone base stations
  • Using Village Telco's Mesh Potato wireless back-haul devices to create ad-hoc and infrastructure-free "land-line" telephone networks
  • Implementing the Mesh Potato feature-set on Android based smart phones to enable the creation of mixed mobile and land-line self-meshing ad-hoc telephone networks
  • Creating distributed infrastructure-free protocols that allow people to use their existing telephone numbers on ad-hoc telephone networks, both for temporary disaster-relief telephony and ad-hoc telephony for remote and emerging regions.
  • Creating Mesh-Potato compatible devices that operate on other unlicensed spectrum, such as the ISM UHF bands that promise much greater range, especially in remote and emerging regions.
  • Creating network services that scale to millions of simultaneous connections to handle demand surges, e.g., during disaster situations.
  • Creating innovative mesh-based networking solutions to meet specific industrial needs.

SPAM:

  • Investigating methods for filtering SPAM in languages other than English.

Supervisory interests

  • Computer science
  • Information and communication technology (ICT)
  • Information technology for development
  • Information technology IT
  • Information/communication technology
  • Resilience
  • Serval project and mesh networking
  • Social networking sites
  • Social networks

RHD research supervision

Current

Associate supervisor: SPAM (1); Energy efficient wireless networks (1);

Publications

Books
Gardner-Stephen, P.M. and Knowles, G.P. (2009). DASH: Searching Compressed DNA: Creating and Searching Compact Databases for The Genomic Era. Germany: VDM Verlag Dr. Müller.
Refereed journal articles
Alkahtani, H., Goodwin, R. and Gardner-Stephen, P. (2012). A Comparative Study of the Perceptions of End Users in the Eastern, Western, Central, Southern and Northern Regions of Saudi Arabia about Email SPAM and Dealing with it. International Journal of Cyber-Security and Digital Forensics (IJCSDF), 1(4), pp.297-310. [online]. Available from: http://sdiwc.net/digital-library/web-admin/upload-pdf/00000373.pdf.
Alkahtani, H.S.H., Goodwin, R. and Gardner-Stephen, P. (2012). A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE PERCEPTIONS OF END USERS IN THE EASTERN, WESTERN, CENTRAL, SOUTHERN AND NORTHERN REGIONS OF SAUDI ARABIA ABOUT EMAIL SPAM AND DEALING WITH IT. International Journal of Cyber-Security and Digital Forensics (IJCSDF), 1(4), pp.297-310.
Gardner-Stephen, P.M., Lakeman, J.L., Challans, R., Wallis, C., Stulman, A. and Haddad, Y. (2012). MeshMS: Ad Hoc Data Transfer within Mesh Network. International Journal of Communications, Network and System Sciences, 5(8), pp.496-504. [online]. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ijcns.2012.58060.
Adeyeye, M. and Gardner-Stephen, P.M. (2011). The Village Telco project: a reliable and practical wireless mesh telephony infrastructure. EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking, 2011(78), pp.1-11. [online]. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1687-1499-2011-78.
Gardner-Stephen, P.M. and Knowles, G.P. (2007). NP3: Cooperative Compression Of Clustered DNA Databases And Their Indexes. WSEAS Transactions on Biology and Biomedicine, 3(7), pp.565-572.
Knowles, G.P. and Gardner-Stephen, P.M. (2006). DASH, DASH-H: Software and Hardware for Sequence Alignment. WSEAS Transactions on Biology and Biomedicine, 3(1), pp.37-42. [online]. Available from: http://www.worldses.org/journals/biology/contents.htm.
Refereed conference papers
Alkahtani, H.S.H., Gardner-Stephen, P. and Goodwin, R. (2012). Email spam in saudi arabia and how do end users deal with it? In The International Conference on Computing, Networking and Digital Technologies. ICCNDT 2012. pp. 194-206. [online]. Available from: http://sdiwc.net/digital-library/email-spam-in-saudi-arabia-and-how-do-end-users-deal-with-it.
Alkahtani, H.S.H., Goodwin, R.D. and Gardner-Stephen, P. (2012). Combating of e-mail SPAM by different businesses in Saudi Arabia. In The 13th International Arab Conference on Information Technology. ACIT'2012. [online]. Available from: http://www.acit2k.org/ACIT/2012Proceedings/12195.pdf.
Gardner-Stephen, P.M. and Palaniswamy, S. (2011). Serval mesh software-WiFi multi model management. In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Wireless Technologies for Humanitarian Relief. 1st International Conference on Wireless Technologies for Humanitarian Relief. pp. 71-77. [online]. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2185216.2185245.

Show all publications

Books
Gardner-Stephen, P.M. and Knowles, G.P. (2009). DASH: Searching Compressed DNA: Creating and Searching Compact Databases for The Genomic Era. Germany: VDM Verlag Dr. Müller.
Refereed journal articles
Alkahtani, H.S.H., Goodwin, R. and Gardner-Stephen, P. (2012). A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE PERCEPTIONS OF END USERS IN THE EASTERN, WESTERN, CENTRAL, SOUTHERN AND NORTHERN REGIONS OF SAUDI ARABIA ABOUT EMAIL SPAM AND DEALING WITH IT. International Journal of Cyber-Security and Digital Forensics (IJCSDF), 1(4), pp.297-310.
Gardner-Stephen, P.M., Lakeman, J.L., Challans, R., Wallis, C., Stulman, A. and Haddad, Y. (2012). MeshMS: Ad Hoc Data Transfer within Mesh Network. International Journal of Communications, Network and System Sciences, 5(8), pp.496-504. [online]. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ijcns.2012.58060.
Alkahtani, H., Goodwin, R. and Gardner-Stephen, P. (2012). A Comparative Study of the Perceptions of End Users in the Eastern, Western, Central, Southern and Northern Regions of Saudi Arabia about Email SPAM and Dealing with it. International Journal of Cyber-Security and Digital Forensics (IJCSDF), 1(4), pp.297-310. [online]. Available from: http://sdiwc.net/digital-library/web-admin/upload-pdf/00000373.pdf.
Adeyeye, M. and Gardner-Stephen, P.M. (2011). The Village Telco project: a reliable and practical wireless mesh telephony infrastructure. EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking, 2011(78), pp.1-11. [online]. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1687-1499-2011-78.
Gardner-Stephen, P.M. and Knowles, G.P. (2007). NP3: Cooperative Compression Of Clustered DNA Databases And Their Indexes. WSEAS Transactions on Biology and Biomedicine, 3(7), pp.565-572.
Knowles, G.P. and Gardner-Stephen, P.M. (2006). DASH, DASH-H: Software and Hardware for Sequence Alignment. WSEAS Transactions on Biology and Biomedicine, 3(1), pp.37-42. [online]. Available from: http://www.worldses.org/journals/biology/contents.htm.
Refereed conference papers
Alkahtani, H.S.H., Gardner-Stephen, P. and Goodwin, R. (2012). Email spam in saudi arabia and how do end users deal with it? In The International Conference on Computing, Networking and Digital Technologies. ICCNDT 2012. pp. 194-206. [online]. Available from: http://sdiwc.net/digital-library/email-spam-in-saudi-arabia-and-how-do-end-users-deal-with-it.
Alkahtani, H.S.H., Goodwin, R.D. and Gardner-Stephen, P. (2012). Combating of e-mail SPAM by different businesses in Saudi Arabia. In The 13th International Arab Conference on Information Technology. ACIT'2012. [online]. Available from: http://www.acit2k.org/ACIT/2012Proceedings/12195.pdf.
Alkahtani, H.S.H., Goodwin, R.D. and Gardner-Stephen, P. (2011). Email spam related issues and methods of controlling used by ISPs in Saudi Arabia. In The International Arab Conference on Information Technology (ACIT2011). The International Arab Conference on Information Technology (ACIT2011). pp. 344-351.
Alkahtani, H.S.H., Gardner-Stephen, P.M. and Goodwin, R.D. (2011). A taxonomy of email spam filters. In The International Arab Conference on Information Technology (ACIT2011). The International Arab Conference on Information Technology (ACIT2011.
Gardner-Stephen, P.M. and Palaniswamy, S. (2011). Serval mesh software-WiFi multi model management. In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Wireless Technologies for Humanitarian Relief. 1st International Conference on Wireless Technologies for Humanitarian Relief. pp. 71-77. [online]. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2185216.2185245.
Gardner-Stephen, P.M. (2009). A Biologically Inspired Method of SPAM Detection. In A.M. Tjoa and R.R. Wagner, ed. Proceedings of the 20th International Workshop on Database and Expert Systems Application. Database and Expert Systems Applications (DEXA) 2009. pp. 53-56.
Gardner-Stephen, P.M. and Knowles, G.P. (2007). NP3: A New DNA Compression Algorithm. In Prof. Tuan Pham, ed. Proceedings of the 3rd WSEAS International Conference on Mathematical Biology and Ecology (MABE'07). 3rd WSEAS Int.Conf. on MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY and ECOLOGY (MABE'07).
Gardner-Stephen, P.M. (2007). Escalating the war on SPAM through practical PoW exchange. In IEEE, South Australia, ed. ICON 2007: 15th IEEE International Conference on Networks. ICON 2007: 15th IEEE International Conference on Networks. pp. 473-476.
Knowles, G.P. and Gardner-Stephen, P.M. (2004). A new hardware architecture for genomic and proteomic sequence alignment. In V Markstein, ed. Proceedings of the IEEE Computational Systems Bioinformatics Conference. Computational Systems Bio Informatics (CSB) 2004. pp. 730-731.
Gardner-Stephen, P.M. and Knowles, G.P. (2004). DASH: a new high speed genomic sequence search and alignment tool. In WSEAS Transactions on Computers: Proceedings of the 4th WSEAS International Conference on Mathematics and Computers in Biology and Chemistry. 4th WSEAS International Conference on Mathematics and Computers in Biology and Chemistry. pp. 59-64.
Knowles, G.P. and Gardner-Stephen, P.M. (2004). DASH: localising dynamic programming for order of magnitude faster, accurate sequence alignment. In Proceedings of the IEEE Computational Systems Bioinformatics Conference. Computational Systems Bio Infomatics (CSB) 2004. pp. 732-735.
Knowles, G.P. and Gardner-Stephen, P.M. (2003). A novel architecture for genomic sequence searching and alignment. In Omondi, ASedukhin, S, ed. Advances in Computer Systems Architecture: Lecture Notes in Computer Science. The Eighth Asia-Pacific Computer Systems Architecture Conference. pp. 180-192.
Conference publications
Gardner-Stephen, P.M. (2011). Sustaining Telecommunications Capability and Capacity during Acute Phase of Disasters and Disaster Responses. In Marvin L. Birnbaum, ed. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. World Congress for Disaster and Emergency Medicine. pp. s101-s102. [online]. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1049023X11003207.
Gardner-Stephen, P.M. (2011). The Serval Project: Creating a Robust Infrastructure-Independent Communications Safety Net. In Anne-Louise Smith and Martin Caon, ed. The Engineering and Physical Sciences in Medicine and the Australian Biomedical Engineering Conference. Exploring New Territory: Innovative Solutions in Medicine and Health Physics. pp. 84-85.

Show selected publications

Professional and community engagement

Dr. Gardner-Stephen

  • contributes to the promotion of science by conducting a science experiment or exploration on ABC 891 South Australia's Drive program with Sonya Feldhoff between 4pm and 5pm alternate Wednesday afternoons.
  • is the founder of the humanitarian organisation the Serval Project, whose vision is Empowering all humanity through communication.
  • provides pro bono IT services to charitable and not-for-profit organisations.

Expertise for media contact

  • Computer Science and related fields Dr. Gardner-Stephen has a history of media experience including print, radio and television appearances in Australia and around the world, and is enthusiastic about communicating both his own research interests and science matters of general interest.
  • Shoe Phone (and its medical applications) Dr. Gardner-Stephen invented the world's first working shoe phone in the style of the Get Smart franchise, and is always willing to demonstrate it or be interviewed by shoe-phone.
  • Serval Project and mesh networking Dr. Gardner-Stephen is the founder of the Serval Project, which has created software that allows normal cell phones to communicate without using towers, supporting communications in disaster zones, remote locations and among people who cannot afford access to traditional telecommunications services.

Subject/s

  • Computers
  • Engineering - Computer Systems
  • Science
  • Technology


inspiring achievement