Michel-Alexandre Cardin

Michel-Alexandre is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Computational Aided Engineering at the Dyson School of Design Engineering, and Lead of the Strategic Engineering Laboratory. His work focuses on the development and evaluation of new computer aided methodologies, digital processes, and algorithms to support the design of engineering systems, with applications in infrastructure and financial systems. The work covers topics such as concept generation and selection, decision-making, machine learning, stochastic optimization, uncertainty modeling, and virtual/augmented reality.

In particular, his work focuses on design for flexibility (also known as real options), a design paradigm aiming at enabling better flexibility, sustainability and resilience in complex engineered systems, with the goal of improving expected performance in the face of uncertainty and risks. This is highly needed, especially given ongoing and future threats from climate change, cyber and physical terrorism, and pandemics. His latest efforts explore the roles of AI and machine learning as part of this emerging paradigm.

Prior to joining Imperial College, Dr. Cardin served as a faculty member at the National University of Singapore (2011-2018), where he established the Strategic Engineering Laboratory. He also worked as a Quantitative Researcher in the hedge fund industry, developing strategies for derivatives trading using machine learning. He was a principal investigator for the Singapore-ETH Centre Future Resilient Systems project, and the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology. Dr. Cardin holds a PhD in Engineering Systems and a Master of Science in Technology and Policy from MIT, a Master of Applied Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Toronto, Honors BSc in Physics from McGill University in Canada, and is a graduate of the Space Science Program at the International Space University. He is currently serving as Associate Editor for the ASME Journal of Mechanical Design, served as Associate Editor for the INCOSE journalSystems Engineering (2013-2021), and on the Editorial Review Board for the journal IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management (2013-2019). He is an avid ice hockey player, and proud father of three.

Companies

• Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Computational Aided Engineering Imperial College London (2019)
• Quantitative Researcher, Global Macro Fund Fairtide (2018 — 2018)
• Assistant Professor of Industrial Systems Engineering and Management National University of Singapore (2011 — 2018)
• Consulting and Applied Research Projects National University of Singapore (2011 — 2018)
• Quantitative Research Consultant Fairtide (2017 — 2017)
• Research Investigator Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research & Technology Centre (2012 — 2015)
• Research and Teaching Assistant, Engineering Systems Division and Center for Real Estate Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (2005 — 2011)
• Consulting and Applied Research Projects Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (2005 — 2011)
• Visiting Researcher Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) (2010 — 2010)

Education

• PhD Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2007 — 2011)
• Master of Science Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2005 — 2007)
• Space Science Program International Space University (2003 — 2003)
• Master of Applied Science University of Toronto (2001 — 2003)
• Honors Bachelor of Science McGill University (1998 — 2001)