Ph.D. | SM IEEE | Senior Research Fellow | Top 2% Scientist (Stanford–Elsevier, 2026) | Generative AI, Deep Learning, AI Governance, and Next-generation Wireless Communication Researcher
Centre for Trusted Internet & Community, NUS
Innovation 4.0, #04-04
3 Research Link
Singapore 117602
Email: fakhar.5@nus.edu.sg; fakhar.14@hotmail.com
Dr Fakhar Abbas is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Trusted Internet and Community (CTIC), National University of Singapore (NUS). His research focuses on trustworthy generative AI, deepfake detection and generation, digital media forensics, and AI governance, combining technical approaches with legal and policy analysis. His work examines the development of AI methods for synthetic media and regulatory responses to misinformation, disinformation, and mal-information (MDM).
Before joining NUS in 2022, he held academic and technical positions at COMSATS University Islamabad, Pakistan, where he taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses in computer science and related fields. He received his PhD in Information and Communication Engineering from Southwest Jiaotong University, China, in 2020. His broader research interests include intelligent wireless communications, deep reinforcement learning, and next-generation vehicular networks.
He has authored more than 45 peer-reviewed journal and conference publications, including work published in IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, Neural Networks, and Expert Systems with Applications. He is also a contributing author to the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Misinformation and Disinformation. He was recognised among the Stanford–Elsevier World's Top 2% Scientists (2026, single-year impact). He serves as an Area Editor for Diagnostics and is a Senior Member of IEEE and an HEC-approved PhD supervisor in Pakistan. He welcomes inquiries from prospective research students and collaborators.
Nov 2026 — Our research report, Beyond Falsehoods 2026: Global Trends in the Regulation of Misinformation and Disinformation, was published by CTIC, NUS. Read Report
Oct 2026 — Delivered an invited talk on governing information disorder at Prince Sultan University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Aug 2026 — Co-authored a paper on secure hyperspectral image transmission published in IEEE J. sel. top. appl. Earth Obs. Remote Sens.
Jul 2026 — Appointed Area Editor of Diagnostics (MDPI).
2026 — Recognised among the Stanford–Elsevier World's Top 2% Scientists (single-year research impact).
Research Sphere 3 (RS3) of the Information Gyroscope (iGyro) at the Centre for Trusted Internet and Community, National University of Singapore.
Synthetic Deception at Scale: Rethinking Public Policy Responses to Deepfake-Driven Online Harms — Ongoing research.
Layering Without Displacement: Epistemic Authority in Global Information-Disorder Regulation — Ongoing research.
Past project
Key researcher, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)-funded research on next-generation wireless communications, Southwest Jiaotong University, 2016–2020.
Fakhar Abbas, Simon Chesterman, and Eka Nugraha Putra, “Beyond Falsehoods 2026: Global Trends in the Regulation of Misinformation and Disinformation,” Centre for Trusted Internet and Community (CTIC), National University of Singapore (NUS), November 2026. Report |[pdf]
33 journal articles, 12 international conference papers, and one book chapter (accepted).
F. Abbas, S. Chesterman and A. Taeihagh, "Deepfake detection and generation using AI," in Oxford Handbook of Misinformation and Disinformation. Oxford University Press, accepted Oct. 2025, forthcoming 2027.
S. M. Waqas, F. Huang, F. Abbas, M. Alsabaan, S. Kumari and X. Xue, "Lyapunov-guided TD3 for secure hyperspectral image transmission in STAR-RIS-assisted wireless networks," IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, Aug. 2026. DOI
S. M. Waqas, F. Huang, F. Abbas et al., "Dynamic resource allocation for RIS-assisted full-duplex ISAC via hybrid Lagrangian-DRL approach," IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, Jul. 2026. DOI
F. Abbas, "Machine-learning-based disease diagnosis and prediction: Progress, perspectives, and the path forward," Diagnostics, Jun. 2026. DOI
F. Abbas, S. Chesterman and A. Taeihagh, "Building trust in the generative AI era: a systematic review of global regulatory frameworks to combat the risks of mis-, dis-, and mal-information," AI & Society, Nov. 2025. DOI | PDF
S. M. Waqas, A. Liang, F. Huang, W. Liu, S. Raza and F. Abbas, "Perception-aware offloading with collaborative ground-space beamforming for resilient SAGIN communications," IEEE Internet of Things Journal, Nov. 2025. DOI
F. Abbas and A. Taeihagh, "Improved IC-DGAN framework with latent diffusion for semantic multi-feature and facial expression manipulation," Neural Networks, vol. 194, 108199, Oct. 2025. DOI
F. Abbas and A. Taeihagh, "A multi-level fusion-based framework for multimodal fake news classification using semantic feature extraction," International Journal of Machine Learning and Cybernetics, May 2025. DOI | PDF
M. Khalid, M. Z. Sajid, A. Youssef, N. A. Khan, M. F. Hamid and F. Abbas, "CAD-EYE: An automated system for multi-eye disease classification using feature fusion with deep learning models and fluorescence imaging for enhanced interpretability," Diagnostics, vol. 14, no. 23, 2679, Nov. 2024. Link
M. Hussain, L. Fu Wei, A. Rehman, M. Ali, S. M. Waqas and F. Abbas, "Cost-aware quantum-inspired genetic algorithm for workflow scheduling in hybrid clouds," Journal of Parallel and Distributed Computing, vol. 191, 104920, May 2024. DOI
F. Abbas and A. Taeihagh, "Unmasking deepfakes: A systematic review of deepfake detection and generation techniques using artificial intelligence," Expert Systems with Applications, vol. 252, Part B, 124260, May 2024. DOI
K. Shaheed, I. Qureshi, F. Abbas et al., "EfficientRMT-Net: An efficient ResNet-50 and vision transformers approach for classifying potato plant leaf diseases," Sensors, vol. 23, no. 23, 9516, Nov. 2023. Link
J. Iqbal, H. Jibran, A. S. Al-Shamayleh, F. Abbas, A. Akhunzada, S. Z. Alharthi and A. Gani, "Comparative study of SPI success factors in global and in-house environment for large-scale software companies," PeerJ Computer Science, vol. 9, e1656, Oct. 2023. DOI
A. Ahoor, Y. F. Arif, M. Z. Sajid, I. Qureshi, F. Abbas, S. Jabbar and Q. Abbas, "MixNet-LD: An automated classification system for multiple lung diseases using modified MixNet model," Diagnostics, vol. 13, no. 20, 3195, Oct. 2023. Link
I. Bashir, M. Z. Sajid, R. Kalsoom, N. Ali, I. Qureshi, F. Abbas and Q. Abbas, "RDS-DR: An improved deep learning model for classifying severity levels of diabetic retinopathy," Diagnostics, vol. 13, no. 19, 3116, Sep. 2023. Link
S. M. Waqas, Y. Tang, L. Yu and F. Abbas, "A joint cluster-based RRM and low-latency framework using the full-duplex mechanism for NR-V2X networks," Computer Communications, vol. 209, pp. 513–525, Jul. 2023. Link
S. M. Waqas, Y. Tang, F. Abbas, H. Chen and M. Hussain, "A novel duplex deep reinforcement learning based RRM framework for next-generation V2X communication networks," Expert Systems with Applications, vol. 233, 121004, Jul. 2023. Link
A. Hussain, H. Chao Li, D. Ali, M. Ali, F. Abbas and M. Hussain, "An optimized deep supervised hashing model for fast image retrieval," Image and Vision Computing, vol. 133, 104668, May 2023. Link
M. S. Bute, P. Fan, Q. Luo, L. Zhang and F. Abbas, "QoS-aware content dissemination based on integrated social and physical attributes among cellular and V2V users," IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, vol. 72, no. 9, pp. 12181–12194, 2023. Link
A. Hassan, S. Abbas, S. Yousuf, F. Abbas, N. M. Amin, S. Ali and M. H. Mostoi, "An experimental and numerical study on the impact of various parameters in improving the heat transfer performance characteristics of a water-based photovoltaic thermal system," Renewable Energy, vol. 202, pp. 499–512, Jan. 2023.
M. Hussain, L. Fu Wei, F. Abbas, A. Rehman, M. Ali and A. Lakhan, "A multi-objective quantum-inspired genetic algorithm for workflow healthcare application scheduling with hard and soft deadline constraints in hybrid clouds," Applied Soft Computing, vol. 128, 109440, Oct. 2022. Link
F. Abbas, X. Yuan, M. S. Bute and P. Fan, "Performance analysis using full duplex discovery mechanism in 5G-V2X communication networks," IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, vol. 23, no. 8, pp. 11453–11464, Aug. 2022.
M. S. Bute, P. Fan, G. Liu, F. Abbas and Z. Ding, "A cluster-based cooperative computation offloading scheme for C-V2X networks," Ad Hoc Networks, vol. 132, 102862, Jul. 2022. Link
M. Hussain, L. Fu Wei, A. Rehman, F. Abbas and A. Hussain, "Deadline-constrained energy-aware workflow scheduling in geographically distributed cloud data centers," Future Generation Computer Systems, vol. 132, pp. 211–222, Mar. 2022. Link
M. S. Bute, P. Fan, Z. Sheng and F. Abbas, "An efficient distributed task offloading scheme for vehicular edge computing networks," IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, vol. 70, no. 12, pp. 13149–13161, Dec. 2021.
Z. Khan, S. Fang, A. Koubaa, P. Fan, F. Abbas and H. Farman, "Street-centric routing scheme using ant colony optimization-based clustering for bus-based vehicular ad-hoc network," Computers & Electrical Engineering, vol. 86, 106736, Sep. 2020. Link
F. Abbas, G. Liu, P. Fan and Z. Khan, "An efficient cluster-based resource management scheme and its performance analysis for C-V2X networks," IEEE Access, vol. 8, pp. 87071–87082, May 2020. Link
Z. Khan, P. Fan, S. Fang and F. Abbas, "An unsupervised cluster-based VANET-oriented evolving graph (CVoEG) model and associated reliable routing scheme," IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, vol. 20, no. 10, pp. 3844–3859, Oct. 2019. Link
F. Abbas, P. Fan and Z. Khan, "A novel low latency V2V resource allocation scheme based on cellular V2X communications," IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, vol. 20, no. 6, pp. 2185–2197, Jun. 2019. Link
Z. Khan, P. Fan, F. Abbas, H. Chen and S. Fang, "Two-level cluster-based routing scheme for 5G V2X communication," IEEE Access, vol. 7, pp. 16194–16205, Jan. 2019. Link
F. Abbas, P. Fan and Z. Khan, "A novel reliable low-latency multipath routing scheme for vehicular ad hoc networks," EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking, 296, Dec. 2018. Link
F. Abbas and P. Fan, "Clustering-based reliable low-latency routing scheme using ACO method for vehicular networks," Vehicular Communications, vol. 12, pp. 66–74, Feb. 2018. Link
M. I. Zahoor, N. Ur Rehman, F. Abbas and S. Adnan, "Case study of energy efficiency in massive MIMO system," International Journal of Engineering Works, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 32–37, Nov. 2014.
F. Abbas, N. Ur Rehman, M. I. Zahoor and I. Jamil, "Interference mitigation in LTE HetNets by resource allocation," International Journal of Engineering Works, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 10–14, Sep. 2014. Link
S. Fang, Y. Wang, F. Abbas and Z. Khan, "Kernel PCA-assisted compressed sensing for underwater acoustic channel estimation under weak non-Gaussian noise," in Proc. 11th Int. Conf. Computer and Communication Systems (ICCCS), Wuhan, China, 2026, pp. 600–605. DOI
S. Fang, F. Abbas, T. Deng, M. Hussain and Z. Ding, "HFLD: A secure and scalable hybrid framework for intelligent V2X communications in next-generation wireless networks," in Proc. 25th Int. Conf. Software Quality, Reliability, and Security Companion (QRS-C), Hangzhou, China, 2025, pp. 147–156. DOI
F. Abbas and A. Taeihagh, "Semantic facial features and expression manipulation using multi-level IC-DGAN framework," in Proc. Int. Joint Conf. Neural Networks (IJCNN), Yokohama, Japan, 2024, pp. 1–8. Link
M. S. Waqas, Y. Tang, F. Abbas, M. Hussain and Y. A. Bangash, "FGNN-based improved resource distribution framework for V2X wireless networks," in Proc. IEEE 99th Vehicular Technology Conf. (VTC2024-Spring), Singapore, Jun. 2024, pp. 1–6. Link
M. S. Bute, P. Fan, G. Liu, F. Abbas and Z. Ding, "A collaborative task offloading scheme in vehicular edge computing," in Proc. IEEE 93rd Vehicular Technology Conf. (VTC2021-Spring), Helsinki, Finland, Jun. 2021, pp. 1–5. Link
F. Abbas, G. Liu, P. Fan, Z. Khan and M. S. Bute, "A vehicle density-based two-stage resource management scheme for 5G-V2X networks," in Proc. IEEE 91st Vehicular Technology Conf. (VTC2020-Spring), Antwerp, Belgium, May 2020, pp. 1–5. Link
F. Abbas, G. Liu, Z. Khan, K. Zheng and P. Fan, "Clustering-based resource management scheme for latency and sum rate optimization in V2X networks," in Proc. IEEE 89th Vehicular Technology Conf. (VTC2019-Spring), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Jun. 2019, pp. 1–6. Link
M. Ahmad, F. Abbas, Q. Chen and M. Ahmad, "A novel hybrid content-oriented communication (COC) technique based on V2X networks," in Proc. IEEE 89th Vehicular Technology Conf. (VTC2019-Spring), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Jun. 2019, pp. 1–5. Link
Z. Khan, F. Abbas and H. Ullah, "A conceptual framework of virtualization and live-migration for vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) communication," in Proc. IEEE 11th Int. Conf. Communication Software and Networks (ICCSN), Chongqing, China, Jun. 2019, pp. 590–594. Link
F. Abbas and P. Fan, "A hybrid low-latency D2D resource allocation scheme based on cellular V2X networks," in Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. Communications Workshops (ICC Workshops), Kansas City, MO, USA, May 2018, pp. 1–6. Link
F. Abbas, Y. Fang et al., "Combined resource allocation system for device-to-device communication towards LTE networks," in Proc. 8th Int. Conf. Computer and Automation Engineering (ICCAE), Melbourne, Australia, Mar. 2016, pp. 1–8. Link
K. Sultan, H. Ali, Z. Zhang and F. Abbas, "Improving PAPR reduction for OFDM using hybrid techniques," in Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. Communication Software and Networks (ICCSN), Chengdu, China, Jun. 2015, pp. 312–316. Link
Teaching and Supervision
(COMSATS University Islamabad, 2016–2022)
Undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Computer Science, Software Engineering and Cybersecurity, including laboratory teaching. Areas taught: artificial intelligence, machine learning, introduction to computing, data communication and computer networks, network security, operating systems and software engineering.
Course development
Developed the NUS Summer course Building Trust and Safety with AI Analytics.
Contributed to curriculum updates in Introduction to Computing and Data Communications at COMSATS.
Supervision: 1 PhD (co-supervised), 2 MS theses, 8 MCS theses, and 12 BS final-year projects.
"Governing information disorder: Global trends in regulatory and policy responses to misinformation and disinformation," Faculty Development Program, College of Law and Governance and Policy Design Research Lab, Prince Sultan University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 14 Oct. 2026.
"Enforceability by design: Preventing AI dependency and preserving critical thinking in human–AI interaction," Paris Conference on AI & Digital Ethics, 11–12 Jun. 2026.
"Building trust in the generative AI era," NUS AI Research Day, National University of Singapore, 25 Jul. 2025.
"A systematic review of global regulatory frameworks to combat the risks of mis-, dis-, and mal-information," iGyro Symposium on MDM, NUS, 28 Apr. 2025.
"Semantic facial features and expression manipulation using multi-level IC-DGAN framework," IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence (IJCNN), Yokohama, Japan, Jun.–Jul. 2024.
"Efficient radio resource management schemes for V2X communication networks," NSFC Annual Meeting, Hangzhou, China, 9 Jan. 2020.
Editorial roles
Area Editor, Diagnostics (MDPI), Jul. 2026 to present.
Guest Editor, Diagnostics (MDPI) Special Issue, Mar. 2024 to May 2026.
Conference and event organisation
Programme Committee Chair, NUS AI Research Day, National University of Singapore, 2025 and 2026.
Programme committee member, iGyro Symposium on Mis-, Dis-, and Mal-Information, NUS, 28 Apr. 2025.
Programme committee member and organiser, Workshop for the Oxford Handbook of Misinformation and Disinformation, NUS, 25–26 Apr. 2025.
Session Chair, IEEE International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN), 2024.
Technical program committees: IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC) 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2024; IEEE SMARTTECH 2020, 2022 and 2024; FIT 2025; Next-Gen Healthcare 2024.
Peer review
Reviewed more than 200 manuscripts for international journals and conferences, including IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, Neural Networks, Neurocomputing, Expert Systems with Applications, and Artificial Intelligence Review.
Professional memberships
Senior Member, IEEE; member of the IEEE Communications Society and IEEE Vehicular Technology Society.
Lifetime registered engineer, Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC).
Honours and awards
Stanford–Elsevier World's Top 2% Scientists, single-year research impact, 2026.
Young Distinguished Scholar Award, China Scholarship Council, 2019.
Best Oral Presentation Award, International Conference on Communication and Signal Processing, Chengdu, China, 2015.
Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) for Master's and PhD studies.