About me

Biography

I’m Yahya Aalaila, a researcher in the Data Science and its Applications group at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) in Kaiserslautern. I joined as a visiting researcher in June 2024 and became a full-time researcher in March 2025.

My background is in applied mathematics. I enjoy taking an idea through the whole research process: formulating the question, developing a method, implementing it, designing experiments, and writing the paper. What motivates me is seeing mathematics help us understand and solve practical problems.

Much of my current work is part of the Eventful project, where I study spatiotemporal point processes: models of events that occur across space and time. This work includes benchmarking, synthetic data, and the use of geographical context in event forecasting. I also work on the limits of counterfactual reasoning in dynamical systems and on active relabeling.

Before moving to Germany, I carried out doctoral research at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P). I studied how prior knowledge can inform kernel methods, spectral dimensionality reduction, and semi-supervised clustering, alongside AI applications in food security and crop improvement.

I studied applied mathematics at Cadi Ayyad University. During my bachelor’s studies, I investigated integral transforms, including Laplace and Fourier transforms, for differential equations, and the use of fixed-point theorems to study existence and uniqueness of ordinary differential equation solutions. My master’s studies focused on mathematical modeling of random phenomena.

I have also assisted with teaching and supervised student projects.

Research experience

1. March 2025–present

   Researcher · DFKI

   Data Science and its Applications, Kaiserslautern, Germany. Spatiotemporal event modeling, counterfactual reasoning, and active relabeling.

2. June 2024–February 2025

   Visiting researcher · DFKI

   Counterfactual reasoning in dynamical systems and initial work on active relabeling.

3. January 2022–December 2025

   Doctoral research · UM6P

   College of Computing, Benguerir, Morocco. Prior knowledge in spectral methods for dimensionality reduction and clustering, within a project on kernel-based formulations for exploratory data analysis.

   Ended in December 2025 following my move to Germany; no degree awarded.

4. January 2022–June 2024

   Research assistant · SDAS Research Group

   Mathematical formulations for machine learning and data analysis. Previously a volunteer researcher with the group from August to December 2021.

5. April–September 2021

   Research internship · UM6P

   Kernel-based learning for dimensionality reduction and classification.

Education

1. April 2024–March 2025

   Computer science exchange · RPTU

   Exchange studies at Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau.

2. 2019–2021

   Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics

   Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh. Specialisation in mathematical modeling of random phenomena.

3. 2015–2019

   Bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics

   Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh. Specialisation in abstract algebra.

My doctoral research at UM6P was supported by a scholarship from Fondation Ibn Rochd pour les Sciences et l’Innovation.

Languages & programming

Arabic is my mother tongue. I also speak English, French, and Spanish. My programming background includes Python, MATLAB, SciLab, and R.