Niki Mirgati

About

I’m a computer scientist who cares about both sides of the work: the craft of building reliable, production-ready systems, and the curiosity it takes to wander into unknown territory.

My background sits somewhere between software engineering and machine learning research. During my master’s degree, I worked on AI for games, studying how machine learning models can generate game content from player and level data. Since then, I’ve worked on software projects, conducted research on large language models, and spent time learning how machine learning systems are built and used in practice.

What interests me most is the connection between research and real-world systems. Research helps us understand what is possible; engineering is what turns those ideas into something useful. I enjoy working at that intersection, where new ideas meet practical constraints.

I tend to gravitate toward new areas and different kinds of projects. It keeps the work varied and helps me stay engaged, while also giving me a chance to pick up new skills along the way.

Professional Experience

2025 – 2026 Smartech (DigiKala Group)

Software Engineer
- Delivered backend features across Go, Python, and JVM-based services (Kotlin/Java), adapting across diverse engineering environments.
- Worked across a distributed stack including Kafka, ScyllaDB, Elasticsearch, PostgreSQL, StarRocks, Temporal, and Grafana.
- Maintained observability with Elastic APM and Grafana, and collaborated with frontend developers, product owners, and customer success to ship features that met technical and business needs.
2025 Amii · Edmonton

AI Specialist

Course development · Program delivery
- Co-developed a Coursera course on generative AI and authored technical content on diffusion models, reverse processes, and training dynamics.
- Designed assessments and visualizations to reinforce understanding of model architectures and real-world applications.
- Led hands-on AI sessions for K–12 students across Edmonton public schools.
2024 – 2025 Amii · Edmonton

AI Specialist

Client coaching · Course development · Project validation
- Researched and curated content on AI applications in medical sciences for non-expert learners.
- Coached industry partners on AI-driven solutions, investigating problem backgrounds, success factors, and relevant literature with ML scientists.
- Documented project paths forward, requirements, and ML approaches for generative AI industry engagements.
2025 University of Alberta · Edmonton

Research Assistant
- Collaborated on a joint research project between the University of Alberta and Mastercard.
- Researched relevant literature and technical approaches to inform project milestones.
- Documented findings and supported coordination between university and industry stakeholders.
2020 SynApps · Tehran

Backend Developer
- Built Django APIs for a clinic management platform supporting patient queues, medical histories, lab results, and radiology reports.
- Contributed to application API documentation for developers and stakeholders.
- Collaborated with medical students and software developers to ship features clinicians actually used.
2018 IPM · Tehran

Summer Research Intern
- Developed nature-inspired optimization algorithms for virtual machine placement.
- Evaluated algorithm performance across benchmark scenarios and documented results.
- Supported the research pipeline with analysis that tied ideas to measurable outcomes.

Research

2022 – 2024 University of Alberta

Graduate Research Assistant

Master’s research in procedural content generation for games (PCGML), supervised by Dr. Matthew Guzdial. Studied joint level generation and translation for 2D platformers using deep learning on gameplay video.
2023 – 2024 University of Alberta

Game Design Micro-Credential

Helped develop an industry-facing micro-credential course alongside game developers and artists, covering tutorialization, progression, quests, and multiplayer design.
2019 – 2020 University of Tehran

Undergraduate Thesis

Implemented a rule-based chatbot for the Moodle learning management system under Dr. Omid Fatemi, bridging NLP concepts with a system real students would interact with.

Selected Publication

Joint Level Generation and Translation Using Gameplay Videos

Read paper Watch video

Education

M.Sc. Computer Science

University of Alberta

2021 – 2024 · Focus on machine learning & AI
B.Sc. Computer Engineering

University of Tehran

2015 – 2020 · Hardware major, CS at heart
Mathematics

Farzanegan Sari · NODET

National Organization for Development of Exceptional Talents

Areas I keep returning to

Data Science & Machine Learning
Software Engineering
System Design
Algorithms

Off the clock

When I’m not debugging or reading papers, you’ll probably find me chipping away at French (B1 is next! 🇫🇷), a classical novel half-finished on my nightstand, an anime episode queued up “just one more,” or a playlist of classical, instrumental, and Persian traditional music playing in the background.

I think good engineering and good art share something: patience, attention to detail, and the willingness to sit with something until it reveals itself. Maybe that’s why I like both.