BIO

Dr. Christina Chaccour is the Principal Lead for Emerging Network Technologies and AI Strategy in North America within Ericsson’s Technology and Strategy Office. In this role, she integrates techno-business strategy with deep technical expertise, driving advancements in artificial intelligence, 6G, integrated sensing and communication (ISAC), and future network architectures. She contributes to global strategy by aligning next-generation network capabilities with business growth, ensuring that innovation translates into market-ready technologies.

Dr. Chaccour represents Ericsson in key industry bodies such as FCC CSRIC IX, 5G Americas, and the Next G Alliance, contributing to the evolution of next-generation networks and AI-driven connectivity.

Dr. Chaccour is a research scientist, engineer, and entrepreneur with a career at the intersection of technology, strategy, and innovation. She holds a B.E. in Electrical Engineering with Highest Distinction (Summa Cum Laude) from Notre Dame University, Louaize (NDU), Lebanon, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech, and a Ph.D. from the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech, where she conducted her research in Wireless@VT within Professor Walid Saad’s research group. Her academic work has significantly shaped industry thinking, particularly in AI-native networks, semantic communications, and integrated sensing and communication (ISAC), as well as the role of terahertz frequencies in 6G for emerging applications like holography. Her Ph.D. dissertation was recognized with the Bill and LaRue Blackwell Award. She is also a named inventor on multiple patents related to AI-driven network optimization and advanced wireless technologies.

Dr. Chaccour has received multiple honors, including the Best Paper Award at the 10th IFIP Conference on New Technologies, Mobility, and Security (NTMS) in 2019 and the Exemplary Reviewer Award from IEEE Transactions on Communications in 2021. Her IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials paper ranked among the Top Access articles for six months in 2022. In 2024 and 2025, she was named among the "Top 100 Brilliant and Inspiring Women in 6G."

Dr. Chaccour is committed to fostering diversity of thought in technology, advocating for women’s leadership in STEM. Having worked in Europe, Asia, and North America, she speaks five languages and brings a global perspective to telecom and AI innovation.  As a former lecturer at  Virginia Tech, Dr. Chaccour taught microelectronics, game theory, and IoT, leveraging her IC design experience, including time at Cadence Design Systems, to develop educational content for the European and Middle East regions. She mentors emerging professionals and international colleagues, guiding their technical and career growth.

She serves on the editorial board of IEEE Transactions on Machine Learning in Communications and Networking, IEEE Transactions on Cognitive Communications and Networking, Wireless Personal Communications (Springer), and the guest editorial board of IEEE Communications Standards Magazine within the "AI for Wireless" series. She is also on the advisory board of "The Data Science Conference."

In her entrepreneurial endeavors, Dr. Chaccour co-founded the startup Internet of Trees (IOTree), which has won multiple international awards for its AI-driven environmental monitoring solutions.