Giuseppe Destefanis

Dr. Giuseppe Destefanis is the co-head of the London SmartBridgeLab. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Brunel University, as well as a Visiting Professor at the University of Cagliari in Italy.

Previously, Giuseppe held the position of Senior Lecturer in the School of Computer Science at the University of Hertfordshire and served as a postdoctoral researcher at both Brunel University and the Computer Research Institute of Montreal, Canada. During his PhD studies, Giuseppe had the opportunity to visit the University of Auckland in New Zealand and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Additionally, he has been an instructor of computer science courses at the University of Cagliari.

As an Empirical Software Engineering (ESE) researcher, Giuseppe’s primary focus is on improving software quality and enhancing the developer experience. His research centers on the interactions between complex socio-economic systems and general software development, with a keen interest in understanding the interplay between technical, human, and socio-economic factors in software engineering. Giuseppe is the co-head of the Brunel LLMs working group, a core member of the BSEL and IDA research groups and has initiated the formation of a cross-disciplinary Blockchain Interest Group, uniting researchers from various fields.

In terms of methodology, Giuseppe employs a blend of data mining, machine learning, and time series analysis to extract meaningful insights from software repositories. His research encompasses two interconnected lines: mining source code for metrics and recurring development patterns, and analyzing developer comments for a deeper understanding of human factors in software engineering. This balanced approach aims to increase team productivity and improve the quality of the software development process. His work has attracted industry attention and led to productive collaborations with tech companies seeking to apply these findings to enhance their system development processes.

Giuseppe has also made significant contributions to the field of Blockchain Technologies and Smart Contracts. His work, which includes around 20 co-authored patents, offers advancements in network-level anonymity and scalability, as well as the integration of Blockchain technologies with IoT. This research has had a considerable influence, particularly as blockchain technology becomes more prevalent in various industries. Furthermore, Giuseppe has contributed to studies focusing on the impact of blockchain technology on the financial sector, providing valuable insights for policy-makers and financial institutions interested in adopting distributed ledger technologies for more efficient and secure operations. Another aspect of his research includes Large Language Models, and the way these new tools can be integrated in both software engineering and in the daily activities of companies.