Milad Siami

Associate Professor
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Northeastern University
423 DA
360 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
Email: m.siami [AT] northeastern [DOT] edu

Core Faculty, Northeastern’s Institute for Experiential Robotics

Core Faculty, Northeastern’s Institute for Experiential AI

About me

I am an Associate Professor with the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA. From 2017 to 2019, I was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at MIT’s Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS) hosted by Prof. Ali Jadbabaie.

Research

Find out more.

Recent Journal Publications

R. Vafaee, K. Behzad, M. Siami, L. Carlone, A. Jadbabaie, “Non-submodular Visual Attention for Robot Navigation,” IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 2025. [arXiv]
W. Teshome, K. Behzad, O. I. Camps, M. Everett, M. Siami, M. Sznaier, “Real-Time Adaptive Motion Planning via Point Cloud-Guided, Energy-Based Diffusion and Potential Fields,” IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 2025. [arXiv]
A. C. B. de Oliveira, M. Siami, E. D. Sontag, “Convergence Analysis of Gradient Flow for Overparameterized LQR Formulations,” Automatica, 2025. [arXiv]
K. Behzad, R. Zandi, E. Motamedi, H. Salehinejad, M. Siami, “RoboMNIST: A Multimodal Dataset for Multi-Robot Activity Recognition Using WiFi Sensing, Video, and Audio,” Scientific Data, 2025. [paper]
R. Zandi, K. Behzad, E. Motamedi, H. Salehinejad, M. Siami, “RoboFiSense: Attention-Based Robotic Arm Activity Recognition with WiFi Sensing,” The IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Signal Processing, 2024.
H. Montazeri Hedesh, and M. Siami, “Ensuring both Positivity and Stability Using Sector-Bounded Nonlinearity for Systems with Neural Network Controllers” IEEE Control Systems Letters, 2024.
M. K. Wafi, and M. Siami, “Distributed Adaptive Control of Disturbed Interconnected Systems with High-Order Tuners,” IEEE Control Systems Letters, 2024.
R. Vafaee, and M. Siami, “Learning-based Sparse Sensing with Performance Guarantees,” IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 2025.
R. Vafaee, and M. Siami, “Real-Time Sensor Selection for Time-Varying Networks With Guaranteed Performance,” Automatica, 2024.
R. Vafaee, and M. Siami, “Exploring Non-Submodular Scheduling for Large-Scale Sensor Networks,” IEEE Control Systems Letters, 2023.
A Darabi, and M Siami, “Centrality-based traffic restriction in delayed epidemic networks,” SIAM Journal on Applied Dynamical Systems, 2023.
A. C. B. de Oliveira, M. Siami, and E. D. Sontag, “Edge Selection in Bilinear Dynamical Networks,” IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, [arXiv] 2023.
Y. M. Huang, A. C. B. de Oliveira, D. Murugan, and M. Siami, “Balancing Agility and Communication: Denser Networks Require Faster Agents,” IEEE Open Journal of Control Systems, 2023.
M. Siami, “Stability and Robustness Analysis of Commensurate Fractional-order Networks,” IEEE Transactions on Control of Network Systems, 2021. [arXiv]
M. Siami, A. Olshevsky and A. Jadbabaie, “Deterministic and Randomized Actuator Scheduling With Guaranteed Performance,” IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Volume 66, Issue 4, 2021. [arXiv]
Y. Ghaedsharaf, M. Siami, C. Somarakis and N. Motee, “Centrality in Time-Delay Consensus Networks with Structured Uncertainties,” Automatica, Volume 125, 2021. [arXiv]
M. Siami and A. Jadbabaie, “A Separation Theorem for Joint Sensor and Actuator Scheduling with Guaranteed Performance Bounds,” Automatica, Volume 56, Issue 8, 2020. [arXiv] [Link to download a free copy]
M. Siami, N. Motee, G. Buzi, B. Bamieh, M. Khammash, and J.C. Doyle, “Fundamental Limits and Tradeoffs in Autocatalytic Pathways,” IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Volume 65, Issue 2, 2020. [arXiv]
Y. Ghaedsharaf, M. Siami, C. Somarakis, and N. Motee, ”Performance Improvement in Noisy Linear Consensus Networks with Time-Delay,” IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Volume 64, Issue 6, 2019, Pages:2457-2472.
M. Siami and N. Motee, “Network Abstraction with Guaranteed Performance Bounds,” IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Volume 63, Issue 10, 2018, Pages:3301-3316. [arXiv]
M. Siami and N. Motee, “Growing Linear Dynamical Networks Endowed by Spectral Systemic Performance Measures,” IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Volume 63, Issue 7, 2018, Pages: 2091-2106. [arXiv]
M. Siami, J. Skaf, “Structural Analysis and Optimal Design of Distributed System Throttlers,” IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Volume 63, Issue 2, 2018, Pages: 540-547. [arXiv]
M. Siami, S. Bolouki, B. Bamieh and N. Motee, “Centrality measures in linear consensus networks with structured network uncertainties, ” IEEE Transactions on Control of Network Systems, Volume 5, Issue 3, 2018, Pages: 924-934.
M. Siami and N. Motee, “New Bounds on H_2-Norm of Noisy Linear Dynamical Networks,” Automatica, Volume 53, Issue 5, 2017, Pages: 305-312. [arXiv]
S. Bolouki, R.P. Malhame, M. Siami and N. Motee. “Eminence Grise Coalitions: On the Shaping of Public Opinion,” IEEE Transactions on Control of Network Systems, June 2017, Pages 133-145. [arXiv]
M. Siami, and N. Motee, “Fundamental Limits and Tradeoffs on Disturbance Propagation in Linear Dynamical Networks,” IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Volume 61, Issue 12, 2016, Pages: 4055-4062. [arXiv]

Full list of publications.
A list of my publications is also available on Google Scholar.

News

2025

Invited talk on “Where Robots Should Pay Attention: From Visual Features to WiFi Signals” at UMASS Lowell (Robotic group: MIE+ECE+CS )
Received tenure and promotion to Associate Professor at Northeastern University
Rojin successfully passed her proposal review, advancing toward her PhD dissertation
Hamidreza successfully passed his proposal review, advancing toward his PhD dissertation
Moh successfully passed his proposal review, advancing toward his PhD dissertation

2024

Reza successfully defended his PhD thesis, achieving a significant milestone in his academic career
Atefe successfully defended her PhD thesis, achieving a significant milestone in her academic career
Arthur successfully defended his PhD thesis, achieving a significant milestone in his academic career
Paper on “Distributed Adaptive Control of Disturbed Interconnected Systems with High-Order Tuners”accepted for publication in IEEE Control Systems Letters [arXiv]
Paper on “Real-time Sensor Selection for Time-varying Networks with Guaranteed Performance” accepted for publication in Automatica [Paper]
Invited talk on “Optimizing Sparse Interactions for Control and Sensing in Complex Networks” at USC [Details]
Paper on “Exploring Non-Submodular Scheduling for Large-Scale Sensor Networks” accepted for publication in IEEE Control Systems Letters [Paper]

2023

Paper on “Centrality-based Traffic Restriction in Delayed Epidemic Networks” accepted for publication in SIAM Journal on Applied Dynamical Systems [arXiv]
Siami Lab won the Self-Driving Car Competition at the American Control Conference (ACC) 2023 [News]
Five students from Siami Lab presented their work at ACC 2023 in San Diego
New paper on “Investigating the Effects of Overfitting on the Robustness of Gradient-Descent Training”when subject to uncertainty on gradient estimation [arXiv]
Paper on “Edge Selection in Bilinear Dynamical Networks” accepted for publication in IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control
Presented “Dynamic Centrality in Metapopulation Networks” at the 31st Mediterranean Conference on Control and Automation
Presented comparative analysis of reinforcement learning and adaptive control techniques for linear uncertain systems at the SIAM Conference on Control and Its Applications
Presented “Randomized Learning-based Sensor Scheduling for Robust State Estimation” at the IFAC World Congress
Presented “Estimating Robotic Movement with WiFi Channel State Information” at the American Control Conference
Presented “Virtual Viscoelastic-Based Multi-Agent Systems: Pushing the Limits of Disturbance Propagation in Mini Self-Driving Cars” at the American Control Conference
Gave a talk on “Linear-sized Sensor Scheduling Using Regret Minimization” at the American Control Conference

2022

Paper on “On-the-fly Sensor Scheduling with Performance Guarantees” accepted at the 61st Conference on Decision and Control
Paper on “Sensor and Actuator Scheduling in Bilinear Dynamic Networks” accepted at the 61st Conference on Decision and Control
Co-chaired session on “Networked Control Systems II” at the 61st Conference on Decision and Control
Chaired session at APS DFD 75th Annual Meeting
Presented “Performance Improvement in Soft Robots by Exploiting Viscoelastic Non-integer-order Dynamical Systems” at APS DFD 75th Annual Meeting
Presented “Online Sensor Scheduling for Linear Time-varying Dynamical Systems with Performance Guarantees” at INFORMS 2022 Annual Meeting
MURI review event on August 23-24
Leading $1.1M NSF Award for Developing Effective Mitigation Strategies in Pandemics
New grant from ARL for developing “Analytical Framework for AI&AA”
Paper on “Learning-based Sensor Selection with Guaranteed Performance Bounds” accepted at 2022 American Control Conference
Paper on “Stability and Robustness Analysis of Epidemic Networks with Multiple Time-Delays” accepted at 2022 American Control Conference
SENTRY Surveillance System kick-off event on February 3

2021

Part of $36M, 10-year DHS project for building a Virtual Sentry system that provides just-in-time information to key decision makers
MURI kick-off event on October 18
Invited talk on “Sparse Interactions in Complex Networks” at the 6th Annual Meeting of SIAM Central States Section
Received $300K NSF award to study sparse interactions in complex networks
Co-organized four invited sessions on “Analysis and Control of Large-Scale Autonomous Networks” at CDC 2021
Paper on “Eminence in Noisy Bilinear Networks” accepted at the 60th Conference on Decision and Control
Yu-mei Huang successfully defended her Master’s thesis
Invited talk on “Reliable Sensor and Actuator Scheduling in Smart Grid Networks” at INFORMS 2021 Annual Meeting
Co-PI for $7.5M MURI Award with Northeastern University as lead institution, collaborating with UC Berkeley, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Michigan
Paper on “Stability and Robustness Analysis of Commensurate Fractional-order Networks” accepted in IEEE Transactions on Control of Network Systems
Paper on “Efficient Network-Based Vaccination Strategies for Epidemic Control” accepted at World Automation Congress 2021
Paper on “Centrality in Epidemic Networks with Time-Delay: A Decision-Support Framework for Epidemic Containment” accepted at 2021 American Control Conference
Paper on “Edge Selection in Bilinear Dynamical Networks” accepted at 2021 American Control Conference
Teaching “Special Topics: Distributed Intelligence” at Northeastern University, Spring 2021

2020

New paper on “Centrality-Based Traffic Restriction in Delayed Epidemic Networks” on traffic shaping strategies
New paper on “Edge Selection in Bilinear Dynamical Networks” on link selections
New paper on “Stability and Robustness Analysis of Commensurate Fractional-order Networks” on complex networks
Paper on “Centrality in Time-Delay Consensus Networks with Structured Uncertainties” accepted in Automatica
Paper on “A Generalization of the Secant Condition for Stability of Interconnected Network of Fractional-order Systems” accepted at the 59th Conference on Decision and Control
Paper on “Deterministic and Randomized Actuator Scheduling with Guaranteed Performance” accepted in IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control
Paper on “A Separation Theorem for Joint Sensor and Actuator Scheduling with Guaranteed Performance Bounds” accepted in Automatica
Co-teaching “Building Blocks for the Internet of Things: From Sensors to Networks” Summer 2020
Teaching “Digital Control Systems” at Northeastern University, Fall 2020
Teaching “Introduction to Distributed Intelligence” at Northeastern University, Spring 2020

2019

Chaired session on “Network Analysis and Control” at CDC 2019
Teaching “Digital Control Systems” at Northeastern University
Joined Northeastern University as Assistant Professor in the ECE Department, Fall 2019

2018

Co-organized and co-chaired invited session on “Social and Economic Networks” at CDC 2018
Rapid Autonomous Complex-Environment Competing Ackermann-drive Robotics featured in MIT’s Spectrum Magazine
New paper on “Deterministic and Randomized Actuator Scheduling with Guaranteed Performance” on actuator/sensor selections
Co-organized and co-chaired invited session on “Analysis and Control of Complex Networks” at ACC 2018