Joel completed his PhD in Theoretical Computer Science in 2016 at Loughborough University. He then held a position as a Postdoc in the Dependable Systems group at Kiel University for two years, before returning to Loughborough as an EPSRC Postdoctoral Prize fellow. He became a lecturer in the Department of Computer Science in 2020.
His research interests revolve around studying combinatorial phenomena in order to better understand algorithmic problems involving descrete sequences over finite sets of symbols (usually called words or strings). Specific topics include word equations and pattern matching problems.
Research areas
- Combinatorics on words;
- Formal language theory;
- Algorithms and computational complexity of string problems;
- String solvers and CSPs on words/strings.
- Programme committees: DLT 2025; MFCS 2025; STACS 2024; DLT 2024 (Co-chair); NCMA 2024; WORDS 2023; CiE 2022; CiE 2021; TPSS 2021; SYNASC 2018.
- Conference organising committee: WORDS 2019; CiE 2018.
- Invited speaker: GAGTA 2024; Theorietag: Automaten und Formale Sprachen, Logik in der Informatik & Deduktionsysteme 2024; MOSCA 2023; DLT 2022; CanaDAM 2021; CiE 2020 (special session on formal languages); Straight-Line Programs, Word Equations and their Interplay 2022 (ICALP workshop).
- External seminar talks: Algebra, Geometry and Topology Seminar, Heriot-Watt University; Göttingen-Kassel Theoretical Computer Science Seminar; Discrete Mathematics Seminar, Keele University; Modelling and Verification seminar, IRIF Paris; Verification seminar, Oxford University.
- Conference reviewer: CIAA; CiE; CPM; DCFS; DLT; FCT; MFCS; NCMA; RP; SODA; SPIRE; STACS; SYNASC; WORDS.
- Journal Reviewer: Discrete Applied Mathematics; Information and Computation; International Journal of Foundations of Computer Science; Journal of Automata, Languages and Combinatorics; Logical Methods in Computer Science; Theory of Computing Systems; Theoretical Computer Science.
- Programme Leader: Computer Science, Computer Science and Mathematics, Computer Science and AI.
- Member of the Theoretical Computer Science research theme.
- PhD supervisor: Owen Bell and Matthew Konefal.