Spotlight on Dr Bo Tan

Meet Dr Bo Tan, Associate Professor in Communications Engineering and Signal Processing at the Institute of Communications and Connected Systems.

Tell us a little bit about yourself, and what you do at UCL.

I have been an Associate Professor in the Institute of Communications and Connected Systems (ICCS) at UCL since 2025, after some years as a faculty member in the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences (ITC) at Tampere University, Finland. As with most academic roles, I conduct a range of activities throughout my job: research, publishing research findings; teaching, tutoring, and mentoring undergraduates, postgraduates, and PhDs; bidding for research funding, and managing research projects (if successful in the bidding).

Could you tell us about your research?

My research focuses on advancing wireless communication and sensing (radar) systems by combining radio-frequency engineering, signal processing, and intelligent algorithms. At its core, it explores more efficient ways to deliver and extract information via radio signals. Specifically, I work on detecting and estimating the locations of signal sources and reflections in complex environments, designing energy-efficient waveforms and transceiver architectures, and developing distributed algorithms that enhance the scalability and security of wireless networks.

Placed in a broader societal context, I hope my work can make small, practical contributions to some of today’s wider challenges, such as reducing the carbon footprint of radio networks, helping to narrow the digital divide with affordable connectivity solutions, and supporting the acceptance of digital technologies for wellbeing with privacy-preserving approaches.

What has been your most memorable career moment so far?

It is hard to say which part of my career is more memorable than others. Everything unfolds naturally. Many moments, big or small, shaped my career, like seeing my first hardware design back from the factory, completing the PhD, transitioning from communications to radar research (and back), exploring the field of healthcare, receiving the first grant, first time serving as the opponent, and supervising the first PhD … Each of these moments has marked a step forward. 

The truly rewarding and memorable experience in my academic career is working with many remarkable individuals who have made the journey inspiring.

What are your main interests outside of work?

Outside of work, I wouldn’t say I have a main interest. I tend to follow my curiosity wherever it leads, often quite randomly. I’ve followed The Gunners since the Wenger era (ever the optimist), keep hope for the next Alien release, like dystopian novels, and for escaping to the highlands, even returning with wet boots …

What's next on the research horizon for you?

I am planning some new works (i.e., bidding funds to make them happen). The first one is to explore how quantum approaches might help solve the puzzle of high-dimensional signal processing. The second is to investigate the convergence of radio and optical techniques for network access, long-haul connections, and sensing.  

Is there any piece of media (book, TV, film, podcast) that you would like to recommend?

I once came across a film called Never Let Me Go. I’d definitely recommend it, along with Kazuo Ishiguro’s original novel of the same title.

Links

Dr Bo Tan's academic profile