Dr Joseph West is a Research Fellow at The University of Melbourne.

Joe has a Doctor of Philosophy (Artificial Intelligence) from the Queensland University of Technology and completed his Bachelor of Computer Science (Award for top grades), Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (1st Class Honours) and Master of Engineering Science (Project Management) at the UNSW Australian Defence Force Academy.
Joe served in the Australian Army for 21 years holding numerous roles from Signalman (Private) in the Royal Australian Corps of Signals to Major in the Royal Australia Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. As a Major Joe completed active service in Afghanistan, East Timor and the Solomon Islands, and as an Electrical Engineer performed high-risk projects including concept demonstration of strategic electronic warfare assets in East Timor and leading tactical satellite equipment upgrades in Uruzgan province Afghanistan.

A current Army Reservist, Joe is a Research Officer for the Robotic and Autonomous Systems Implementation and Coordination Office (RICO), and member of the Chief of Army's Indigenous Cultural Advisory Board and the Defence’s Indigenous Cultural Advisory Board. In 2015, as part of the centenary of ANZAC commemorations Joe led the live televised Honouring Warrior Spirits ceremony to commemorate Indigenous service at Gallipoli. Attended by the Governor General, Turkish dignitaries and was broadcast live on ABC. For this Joe was recognised as one of Australia’s prominent Indigenous achievers of the year.

In 2009 Joe and his wife started a real estate business with no prior real estate experience and immediately upon opening the global financial crisis struck. Successfully trading through the global financial crisis, the introduction of the modern employment awards, and significant changes to property legislation, the profitable business was sold 10 years later with over 300 properties under management having outlasted all its competitors.

Joe's current research at the University of Melbourne is in advanced Artificial Intelligence methods with a focus on general decision making and general applications. He is using state of the art deep learning methods to help understand the brain and improve people’s lives who live with debilitating neurological illnesses.

He has not always been a high academic achiever. Having received D’s and E’s throughout school, it took him four attempts at year 12 before achieving the minimum entry standard required to enter the Royal Military College Duntroon. But only a few years later graduating with double degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science with the Computer Science prize for top grades and 1st Class Honours in Electrical Engineering.