"I want to understand the fundamental principles behind high-speed data transmission in nonlinear optical fibers and approach these limits using energy-efficient algorithms.”  

Alex Alvarado is Associate Professor in the Signal Processing Systems group at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), where he leads the Information and Communication Theory Lab (ICT Lab). His research focuses on developing a fundamental theoretical understanding of current and future telecommunication systems and lies on the frontier of communication theory, information theory, signal processing, and optical communications.

Alvarado is a senior member of the IEEE and was an associate editor for IEEE Transactions on Communications (Optical Coded Modulation and Information Theory) from 2016-2018. During 2018-2022, he was a member of the TU/e Young Academy of Engineering. During 2018-2020, he served in the OFC subcommittee Digital and Electronic Subsystems (S4). He also served in the ECOC subcommittee Theory of Optical Communications during 2019-2022.

Alvarado has co-authored more than 180 papers in leading peer-reviewed journals and conferences, and a book about communication theory aspects of coded modulation (Wiley & Sons 2015). His current research is funded in part by an NWO VIDI grant and an ERC Starting grant.

Dr. Alvarado's research has received multiple awards, including Best Paper Awards at the 2018 Asia Communications and Photonics Conference and at the 2019 Optoelectronics and Communications Conference, and Best Poster Awards at the 2009 IEEE Information Theory Workshop and at the 2013 IEEE Communication Theory Workshop. He is also recipient of the 2015 IEEE Transactions on Communications Exemplary Reviewer Award, and the 2015 Journal of Lightwave Technology Best Paper Award.

Alex Alvarado holds an Electronics Engineer degree (Ingeniero Civil Electrónico; 2003) and a MSc (2005) from Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Chile. He obtained his Licentiate of Engineering (Teknologie Licentiatexamen) in 2008 and his PhD degree in 2011, both from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden. From 2011 to 2014, Alvarado worked at the University of Cambridge, first as a Newton International Fellow and then as Marie Curie Intra-European Fellow. From 2014 to 2016, he worked as Senior Research Associate at the Optical Networks Group, University College London. Alvarado was appointed Assistant Professor in the Signal Processing Systems group at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in 2016 and promoted to Associate Professor in 2018.