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Phd Student Researcher at University of Cambridge
My career goal is to help create and lead research and development of intelligent systems. After a two-year stint at Jaguar Land Rover, I studied at the University of Cambridge for a degree in Machine Learning, Speech and Language Technology, being one of only four Romanians to win a Cambridge European Scholarship. Upon graduation, I worked on automatic content translation (speech-to-speech) at Papercup, focusing on neural approaches to speaker-adaptive speech synthesis. I then transitioned to work as one of the main developers of alibi, an open-source library for machine learning explanations. I successfully defended my thesis titled "Robust Understanding and Evaluation of Task-Oriented Dialogue" in November 2025. My thesis studies generalisation issues with Transformer-based language modelling approaches for dialogue state estimation. State estimation accuracy is crucial as it enables effective planning and interaction in task-oriented agents. More about me: https://alexcoca.github.io
University of Cambridge
Master of Philosophy - MPhil, Machine Learning, Speech and Language Technology
January 1, 2017 – January 1, 2018
University of Warwick
Master’s Degree, Systems Engineering
January 1, 2011 – January 1, 2015
National College "Petru Rares", Suceava, Romania
Diploma de Bacalaureat (Romanian Bacalaureate), Mathematics and Informatics Bilingual Romanian - English
January 1, 2007 – January 1, 2011
Xaira Therapeutics
Research Engineer
March 1, 2026 – Present
London Area, United Kingdom · Hybrid
Apple
Research Intern
April 1, 2024 – September 1, 2024
Cambridge, England, United Kingdom · On-site
Apple
Research Intern
April 1, 2023 – October 1, 2023
Cambridge, England, United Kingdom
University of Cambridge
Phd Student Researcher
October 1, 2020 – Present
Cambridge, England, United Kingdom
Seldon
Research Engineer
September 1, 2019 – October 1, 2020
London Area, United Kingdom
Papercup
Machine Learning Engineer
September 1, 2018 – August 1, 2019
London Area, United Kingdom
Jaguar Land Rover
Graduate Engineer
September 1, 2015 – October 1, 2017
Gaydon
UBS Investment Bank
Summer Analyst - Group Technology
June 1, 2014 – August 1, 2014
London Area, United Kingdom
UBS
Spring Intern - Group Technology Division
April 1, 2013 – April 1, 2013
London Area, United Kingdom
Accenture
Accenture Boot Camp Trainee
March 1, 2013 – March 1, 2013
Oxfordshire
University of Warwick
Student Ambassador
November 1, 2012 – June 1, 2015
Coventry
Estates Office
Summer Intern
August 1, 2012 – September 1, 2012
Greater Coventry Area
Green Steps @ Warwick
Trainee
July 1, 2012 – August 1, 2012
Greater Coventry Area
Lingo Links
Interpreter
July 1, 2012 – September 1, 2015
Coventry
Warwick Conferences
Conference Assistant
July 1, 2012 – October 1, 2012
Greater Coventry Area
University of Warwick
Open Days Helper
February 1, 2012 – February 1, 2012
Greater Coventry Area
AIESEC Romania
Trainee at "GROW - The Nationwide Youth Development Program"
July 1, 2010 – August 1, 2010
Suceava, Romania
CNPR Volunteering Club
Volunteer
November 1, 2007 – June 1, 2011
Romania
Nexus-T Project
Team Member
January 1, 2007 – June 1, 2011
Suceava
Reflection Spectroscopy: Overcoming Barriers to Clinical Adoption
October 1, 2014 – April 1, 2015
The aim of this project is to apply machine learning methods to colon cancer diagnosis. Existing methods are applied to clinical data and new methods are explored. I developed a general understanding of machine learning as well as a more detailed knowledge of algorithms such as support vector machines, discriminant analysis and k nearest neighbours.
Stochastic Modelling of the Behaviour of a Kite in a Wind Tunnel
October 1, 2013 – April 1, 2014
This thesis summarises the research I carried out during the third year of my degree. The work presented is original and has been carried out under the supervision of Dr Natasha Khovanova. I held a presentation on this topic at the International Conference of Undergraduate Research in September 2014.
European Computer Driving License
ECDL Foundation
June 24, 2026 – Present
Certificate of Proficiency in English
Cambridge ESOL
June 24, 2026 – Present
Summer School 2025
Cohere Labs
June 24, 2026 – Present
Cultural Fit Analysis
The candidate's background shows a strong inclination towards research and academic environments, with significant time spent in PhD studies and research internships. Their involvement in various university societies and volunteer work suggests a collaborative and community-oriented mindset. The breadth of experience, from engineering to finance and volunteer work, indicates a versatile individual. However, the long academic tenure and focus on research might require an assessment of their adaptability to fast-paced industry product development cycles, depending on the specific cultural nuances of the target company. The target role of ML Engineer aligns well with their technical expertise.
Soft Skills & Operational Fit
The candidate demonstrates strong research, problem-solving, and communication skills through their academic publications and project descriptions. Their involvement in various university clubs and volunteer work suggests good teamwork and leadership potential. The experience as an interpreter also highlights strong interpersonal and communication abilities. The diverse work history, including roles at Jaguar Land Rover and UBS, indicates adaptability and a broad understanding of different operational environments.