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Dr Lisias Loback

Positions held:
  • Associate Lecturer A, School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences
Email
  • Overview

    Overview

    Biography

    Dr. Lisias Loback is a software developer and technology leader with extensive experience across programming languages, libraries, and frameworks. He currently works at Walr, where he focuses on designing and implementing robust software solutions in a fast-paced, data-driven environment. Alongside his industry work, he is also an academic researching creativity, programming, expertise, and innovation in software development.

    His career spans multiple sectors and roles, including full-stack development, backend systems, data processing pipelines, and application architecture. With a strong foundation in computer science and a commitment to clean, maintainable code, Dr. Loback brings both depth and versatility to his work.

    Driven by curiosity and a passion for innovation, he enjoys solving complex technical challenges and contributing to collaborative, cross-functional teams. His work is informed by an interest in functional programming and distributed systems, and he is particularly engaged with improving developer experience — whether through better tooling, thoughtful design patterns, or mentorship. Dr. Loback takes a practical, research-minded approach to software development, always looking for elegant and efficient solutions that align with both business and engineering goals.

    Qualifications

    Web profiles

    Professional memberships

    • Professional Member of the BCS - The Chartered Insitute for IT

    ORCID

    0009-0003-1337-8718
  • Research

    Research

    Research interests

    • Creativity in software development
    • Programming expertise and skill acquisition
    • Innovation in software engineering practices
    • Functional programming paradigms
    • Distributed systems and architectures
    • Developer experience and productivity
    • Human factors in programming
    • Software design and maintainability
    • Tooling and automation in development workflows
    • Knowledge representation and transfer in coding practices
    • Collaboration and communication in technical teams
    • Cognitive aspects of problem-solving in programming
  • Supervision and teaching

    Supervision and teaching

    Supervision

    I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD students who are interested in undertaking research in any of my areas of research interest

    Teaching

    At Birkbeck, University of London, Dr. Lisias Loback teaches different programmes in computing. His teaching focuses on both foundational and advanced areas of the discipline bringing industry insight and research-led approaches into the classroom, aiming to bridge theoretical concepts with real-world application. Dr. Loback is particularly interested in fostering critical thinking, technical fluency, and creativity in problem-solving among students.

    Teaching modules

    • Cloud Computing Concepts (BUCI028H6)
    • IT Tools and Techniques (BUCI084H3)
    • Systems Analysis and Design II (COIY019H5)
  • Business and community

    Business and community

    Media

    I am happy to receive enquiries from the media on the following topics:

    • "Creativity in software development" => Creativity is not just for the arts—it's central to software development. I explore how developers generate novel solutions, adapt design patterns, and innovate within constraints, highlighting the cognitive and collaborative aspects of coding.
    • "Innovation and problem-solving in tech" => I can speak to how tech professionals identify and address emerging challenges, drawing on both industry experience and academic research to explain the mechanics of innovation in software and systems engineering.
    • "The role of expertise in programming" => Programming expertise involves more than syntax. I examine how experience shapes problem-solving approaches, code quality, and long-term system thinking—important topics in both education and industry.
    • "Trends in cloud computing and digital infrastructure" => Cloud computing is reshaping how software is built, deployed, and maintained. I offer insights into key trends, including scalability, cost efficiency, and the growing role of serverless and containerized architectures.
    • "Functional programming in modern software development" => Functional programming offers expressive power and reliability, especially in complex systems. I can discuss its practical advantages, adoption in industry, and relevance in education and research.
    • "Improving developer experience and productivity" => From better tooling to team communication, improving developer experience leads to better software outcomes. I explore strategies for reducing friction in development environments and empowering engineers.
    • "Human factors and cognitive aspects of coding" => Programming is a deeply cognitive task. I study how attention, memory, and reasoning play a role in how code is written, understood, and maintained—insights that are crucial for both tooling and pedagogy.
    • "The future of software engineering education" => As both an educator and practitioner, I can comment on how computing curricula are evolving to prepare students for a rapidly changing industry, balancing foundational theory with applied, project-based learning.
    • "Tools and techniques for effective systems design" => System design is where technical insight meets strategic thinking. I share perspectives on best practices in modelling, abstraction, requirements analysis, and architectural decisions.
    • "Ethical considerations in software development" => Technology has real-world consequences. I can speak on ethics in development—ranging from data privacy and algorithmic bias to the responsibility of engineers in shaping digital society.
    • "Bridging academic research and industry practice in computing" => There is often a gap between research and practice. I’m interested in how we can make research more applicable to real-world problems, and how industry insights can inform academic inquiry.
    • "The impact of AI on programming and software careers" => With AI tools now writing and reviewing code, the nature of software work is changing. I explore what this means for skills, careers, and the future of human-computer collaboration in development.
    • "Open-source culture and community in tech" => Open-source development drives much of today’s innovation. I can discuss the dynamics of collaboration, governance, and community-building that make open-source a key force in the tech ecosystem.
    • "Developing technical skills in higher education" => I work on cultivating not just knowledge, but transferable technical and problem-solving skills. I can speak about methods for teaching coding, systems thinking, and project work in diverse learning environments.
    • "Building resilient and scalable software systems" => Robust software requires thoughtful design and testing. I share principles for building systems that can handle failure, scale effectively, and adapt over time—skills critical to modern development.