I am a Reader in Computer Science at Aston University, affiliated with the School of Computer Science and Digital Technologies and the Applied AI & Robotics research group. My work centres on artificial intelligence — in particular on applying machine learning to intelligent agents and multi-agent systems, with a growing focus on smart cities applications.
Research
My research spans the design, learning, and deployment of autonomous agents in complex, multi-stakeholder environments. Current threads include:
- Intelligent transportation — deep reinforcement learning for traffic signal control, multi-intersection coordination, and urban mobility recommendation.
- Mechanism design & auctions — game-theoretic frameworks for the incentive-compatible procurement of strategic service-provider agents.
- Smart cities & EV infrastructure — equilibrium analysis of electric vehicle charging network placement and pricing at city scale.
- Responsible AI — participatory co-design methodologies for AI systems deployed in public settings.
Background
I hold a PhD in Intelligent Systems (2005) and an MEng in Computing (2001), both from Imperial College London. After completing my doctorate I joined Aston University in 2006 as a Lecturer, progressing to Senior Lecturer and then to Reader in 2019.
I have supervised doctoral students whose work has appeared at AAMAS, IJCAI, IEEE ITSC, and in journals including the Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research (JAIR). I serve on programme committees for leading AI and multi-agent systems venues.
Contact & profiles
The best way to reach me is by email: m.chli@aston.ac.uk. For a full list of publications and citation metrics, please see my Google Scholar profile.