Dr. Lela Mirtskhulava

Protection/Technology Specialist

Dr. Lela Mirtskhulava is the Protection/Technology Specialist for the "Safe Online" Program at Mercy Corps Georgia. She earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science and is an associate professor in the Computer Science department at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and San Diego State University Georgia. Previously, she held a part-time faculty position in the Computer Engineering department at San Jose State University, CA. With a background as an ICT Senior Engineer at Ericsson and Geocell LLC, her professional experience spans diverse areas. Her research pursuits encompass cybersecurity, AI, blockchains, AI modeling in medicine, brainwave monitoring, wireless technologies, and mathematical modeling, resulting in over 80 scientific papers being published. Dr. Mirtskhulava's expertise has led to invitations as a visiting professor at the University of Cambridge, UK, and recognition through Fulbright and DAAD Scholarships. In addition to her academic endeavors, she serves as a keynote speaker and holds roles as a technical committee member and advisory board member at various international scientific conferences. Furthermore, she has contributed to the Horizon Europe Program Georgia as a Pillar II coordinator and Health NCP. She attended the "Gender Equality in Research and Innovation" training organized by the CALIPER project and funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 program. Currently, she is a Management Committee member of COST CA 19136 action.