Dr Oleksandra Molloy
Senior Lecturer in Human Factors and Aviation Safety, UNSW Canberra
Robotics, Autonomous Systems & AI (RASAI)
Dr Oleksandra Molloy’s multidisciplinary research draws on her expertise in human factors, safety, advanced air mobility, uncrewed systems, and artificial intelligence (AI).
She is currently collaborating with industry partner CAE Australia on two research projects, supported by funding from Defence Trailblazer.
“Given my experience in leading multidisciplinary projects and my passion for applying research to real-world operational challenges, joining the Defence Trailblazer program was a clear and compelling opportunity to contribute meaningfully to Defence innovation,” said Dr Molloy.
Why Defence research?
“My professional journey has been marked by collaboration with Defence stakeholders, industry leaders, and academic institutions focused on human factors, aviation and education research, as well as on innovative solutions and capability development.
Defence represents a uniquely dynamic and high-stakes environment where the application of research has a direct and measurable impact on mission success, personnel safety, and strategic capability development. Unlike traditional research sectors, Defence provides an opportunity to work on solutions that address real-world challenges in high-pressure, high-risk contexts.
My interest in Defence stems from the desire to bridge the gap between theoretical advancements in human factors and human performance and their practical application and cutting-edge innovations in training, decision-making, and operational effectiveness.
I firmly believe that research-driven insights, when integrated effectively with technology and training frameworks, can significantly enhance the preparedness and adaptability of Defence personnel.”
Collaborative research capabilities
“I am currently collaborating with CAE Australia to develop AI-assisted approaches to monitor and predict the cognitive load of mission aviators, including remote operators (i.e., drone operators) and sensor operators.
This project could not be more timely. Uncrewed systems have reshaped the modern battlefield. As the management of complex information and sensor control between multiple platforms increases, the task loading on mission aviators has increased – and will continue to increase. The overarching aim of the project is to improve mission system training, improving mission aviators’ ability to cope with complex operational situations.
The potential applications range from adaptive training environments that respond dynamically to a trainee’s cognitive state, to decision support tools that help commanders optimise team performance in high-stakes scenarios.
This Defence Trailblazer project allows me to combine multidisciplinary expertise, encompassing cognitive science, biometrics, and AI. The ability to bridge fundamental research with practical, deployable solutions is what makes this project truly groundbreaking.”
Transforming Defence missions
“I hope that my research will lead to transformative changes in how the Australian Defence Force are trained, supported, and optimised for mission success. By integrating AI-driven training for cognitive assessment and predictive modelling, we can significantly enhance training effectiveness, operational efficiency, and human performance sustainability.
Ultimately, I want to see AI used not just as a tool for automation, but as a means to empower and augment human decision-making in high-stakes environments. By ensuring that personnel operate within their optimal cognitive zones and receive real-time adaptive support, we can reduce errors, improve decision accuracy, and enhance mission effectiveness.
My goal is for this research to contribute to a future where Defence training and operations are more intelligent, adaptive, and human-centered, ensuring both peak performance and long-term resilience in the field.”
The Defence Trailblazer approach
“The Defence Trailblazer program stands out as one of the best collaborative initiatives to date, bringing together industry, academia, and Defence, accelerating the development of next-generation capabilities. By bringing together leading minds from research, technology, and operational domains, it fosters innovation that directly empowers Defence workforce, equip them with innovative technology leading to improved training, readiness, and future operational effectiveness.
This partnership ensures that cutting-edge solutions are rapidly translated into practical applications, strengthening training frameworks and optimizing performance in complex environments. From the industry perspective, it accelerates the development of evidence-based research and transforms academic rigour into practical outcomes for defence industry end-users.
Defence Trailblazer is not just a program—it is a critical force multiplier driving advancements in Defence capability and workforce excellence. I truly believe that this program sets the benchmark for many more partnerships in the future, continuing to accelerate innovative solutions that strengthen the Australian Defence Force.”
Background
Dr Molloy conducts multidisciplinary research driving innovation in fields critical to Defence, including advanced air mobility and uncrewed systems.
In the area of uncrewed systems, Dr Molloy led the first evidence-based research on the use of drones in the war in Ukraine with the Australian Army Research Centre. Dr Molloy is one of the leading experts on drones in modern warfare. Her expertise and thought leadership in drone warfare has contributed to informing strategies and policies, and the way how these technologies are being perceived in military domains globally. Recently, Dr Molloy has been an invited speaker to the international NATO S&T workshop on “Lessons learnt from the use of UxS in the war in Ukraine”, the first Drone Capability Coalition Drone Summit 2025, and Defence Application Session at the Avalon SkyTech 2025 (Australian Association of Uncrewed Systems).
Dr Molloy serves as a Chair of the Human Factors Ergonomics Society Training Technical Group (USA), a Chair of the Women in Road Safety Network (Australasia), and an Educational Development Lead at the Advanced Air Mobility Institute (USA).
Her recent achievements in 2024 include winning the ADM Women in Defence Awards – Research & Development, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society – Woman of the Year, and she was a finalist in the Australian Defence Industry Awards – Academic of the Year category. Under her leadership as the Aviation Discipline Coordinator, UNSW’s Aviation Program won the Defence & National Security Workforce Awards 2024 in the Best Training and Development Program category.
