Carol Hanna

I am a Lecturer/Assistant Professor in the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh and a member of the Institute for Computing Systems Architecture (ICSA).

My research interests span a broad range of topics in Software Engineering, with a focus on developing automated, AI-driven techniques to improve both functional and non-functional software properties. I am also interested in evolutionary computation and search-based optimisation, particularly genetic improvement and its integration with AI techniques.

Before joining Edinburgh, I completed my PhD in Computer Science from University College London (UCL), where I was part of the Software Systems Engineering Group under the supervision of Prof. Justyna Petke and Prof. Federica Sarro. My doctoral thesis, “Fixing Under Fire: Practices, Perspectives, and Automation for Hot Fixing Time-Critical Software Issues,” investigated how time-critical software issues are addressed in practice and how automated techniques can support their resolution.

I am an active member of the software engineering research community, serving as a reviewer and organiser for leading conferences and journals. Beyond Academia, I am passionate about the startup ecosystem, with experience in venture capital and early-stage deep tech startups.

I am always looking for motivated students who are passionate about research and building safe, reliable, and sustainable software systems. If you are interested in pursuing a PhD or collaborating on related research topics, please feel free to get in touch!