Research

Peer-reviewed publications and research streams in healthcare AI, power electronics and interdisciplinary collaborations.

My research is organised across two core domains: Artificial Intelligence for healthcare and Power Electronics for Renewable Energy Conversion, alongside interdisciplinary collaborations where I apply computational and AI methods. You can try my conversational AI demos and a browser-based code playground on the DesBots page.

Research Stream 1: Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare Solutions

My current research focuses on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and mobile technologies for real-time triage of perinatal mental health risks. The work aims to support early detection and timely intervention by integrating AI-driven decision support into routine perinatal care using multimodal mobile health data.

Publication

  • Scoping review of governance, privacy, and design in AI-supported conversational agents for perinatal mental health Desmond Obe, Adrian Shatte, Samantha Teague, Ickjai Lee (2026). OSF Preprint

    This scoping review synthesises evidence on AI supported conversational agents, including chatbots and digital companions, designed to support perinatal mental health among mothers, fathers, parents, and couples. Using PRISMA ScR and JBI frameworks, the study examines how these systems are designed, implemented, and evaluated, with a focus on computational methods, ethical governance, privacy preserving mechanisms, and inclusivity. The work identifies current practices and gaps, and provides guidance for the development of secure, equitable, and clinically meaningful AI driven perinatal mental health interventions.

Research Stream 2: Electrical Engineering (Power Electronics for Renewable Energy Conversion)

My previous research in electrical engineering focuses on power electronics, multilevel inverter topologies, electric drives, and renewable energy systems. This work addresses efficiency, reliability, and performance challenges in energy conversion through advanced converter and motor design.

Publications

  • A Five-Level Nested Neutral Point-Clamped Inverter Topology. IET Power Electronics. Obe, D., et al. (2024). DOI

    This study proposes an improved five-level NNPC inverter leg that reduces switch voltage stress, with only one device rated at half of the input voltage. Experimental results demonstrate reduced losses, lower cost implications, stable capacitor voltage balancing, and competitive performance compared with existing NNPC topologies.

  • A Single-Phase, Nine-level Switched-Capacitor-Based Inverter. Journal of Power Electronics. Obe, D. O., et al. (2024). DOI

    This work presents a self-balanced single-phase nine-level switched-capacitor inverter using a single DC source and a simplified control scheme. The topology achieves a four-times voltage boost with high efficiency and strong active and reactive power performance, validated on a 3 kW prototype.

  • Effect of Stator Winding Chording on the Performance of Five Phase Synchronous Reluctance Motor. Journal of Energy Systems. Umoh, G., Obe, D. O., et al. (2024). DOI

    This study analyses the impact of stator winding chording on the dynamic and steady-state performance of a five-phase synchronous reluctance motor. Analytical phase-variable models and finite element simulations show close agreement, with improved performance observed as the chording angle increases.

Research Stream 3: Interdisciplinary Collaboration (Computational and AI Methods)

I apply computational and AI approaches beyond my core domains, contributing analytical frameworks to research teams in the life sciences.

Publication

  • Evolutionary Mechanisms of Intraspecies Snake Venom Diversification: A Systematic Review of Population-Level Genetic, Regulatory, and Functional Evidence. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. Dingwoke, E. J., Adamude, F. A., Nweje-Anyalowu, C. P., Ilechukwu, C. C., Moh, K. O., Amailo, J. C., Obe, D. O. (2026). DOI

    I had the opportunity to contribute to this systematic review in evolutionary biology, bringing computational and AI approaches to the study of how venom varies within a single snake species. I also developed the analytical framework used to synthesise the genetic, regulatory and functional evidence.

Selected project cards, interactive ML walkthroughs, and the PhD research arc are on the Projects page (research arc).

Explore More

For full access to my projects and code samples, visit my GitHub profile.