I am Viviana Bastidas Melo, an Assistant Research Professor in Urban Systems and Infrastructure in the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge. I work on the interdisciplinary Digital Cities for Change (DC2) project at the Cambridge Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction (CSIC).

My research focuses on two main areas: first, the problems and challenges that arise from the design and implementation of digital innovations in cities, and second, the ethical and safe design of AI-based systems in the public sector. In particular, I am developing human-oriented approaches to AI-based systems to guide their responsible development and deployment while keeping people at the centre of decision-making.

Previously, I was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Innovation Value Institute, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, where I also received a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science (2021). My research at Maynooth University focused on the strategic alignment between city services and information systems to achieve city goals and meet the needs of citizens.