Leeds Beckett University
Leeds Beckett University
06/04/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/04/2026 05:33
Leeds Beckett PhD student wins OpenBright Award to advance machine learning research with real-world impact
Leeds Beckett PhD student wins OpenBright Award to advance machine learning research with real-world impact
04 June 2026
A self-funded doctoral student at Leeds Beckett University has received a prestigious OpenBright Award to support pioneering research that could improve the reliability of large-scale digital systems used by millions of people around the world.
Aarya Bhadgaonkar
Established in 2020, OpenBright aims to address the gender imbalance in computing by empowering women to develop new ideas and build research careers with practical and societal impact.
This award recognises women undertaking innovative research in computing, software engineering, data science, artificial intelligence and related fields.
Aarya Bhadgaonkar, who began her PhD in Computer Science in February 2026, is exploring how machine learning can be used to solve a longstanding challenge in distributed database systems known as the "timeout problem."
A timeout controls how long a database waits before treating a request as failed. If it's set too short, systems may fail unnecessarily; if it's too long, users experience delays. These settings are often configured manually, even though conditions can change over time.
Distributed databases form the backbone of global services such as Netflix, Uber and online banking platforms. These systems must continue operating reliably even when servers fail or networks become congested.
Aarya's research aims to develop a machine learning-based framework that can automatically adapt timeout values in real time, helping distributed systems become more efficient, resilient and responsive.
She credits much of her early progress to the support of her supervisory team.
She said: "As a self-funded student, every bit of funding makes a real difference to my research, so this award means a great deal to me. Finalising my topic was a challenging process and there were times when I doubted myself, but my supervisors have been a constant source of support and encouragement throughout.
"Winning this award has given me confidence that others believe in both the project and my ability to see it through."
Aarya is also building on research led by one of her supervisors, Dr Anatoliy Gorbenko, who has published extensively on how computer systems manage timeouts in large networks. She hopes her work will eventually be adopted by organisations that operate large-scale distributed systems.
Originally from India, Aarya moved to the UK in 2022 to complete a master's in computer science at University of East Anglia before progressing to doctoral study at Leeds Beckett.
Find out more about studying computer science at Leeds Beckett here. To learn more about OpenBright's partnerships, visit their website.
This award recognises women undertaking innovative research in computing, software engineering, data science, artificial intelligence and related fields.
Aarya Bhadgaonkar, who began her PhD in Computer Science in February 2026, is exploring how machine learning can be used to solve a longstanding challenge in distributed database systems known as the "timeout problem."
A timeout controls how long a database waits before treating a request as failed. If it's set too short, systems may fail unnecessarily; if it's too long, users experience delays. These settings are often configured manually, even though conditions can change over time.
Distributed databases form the backbone of global services such as Netflix, Uber and online banking platforms. These systems must continue operating reliably even when servers fail or networks become congested.
Aarya's research aims to develop a machine learning-based framework that can automatically adapt timeout values in real time, helping distributed systems become more efficient, resilient and responsive.
She credits much of her early progress to the support of her supervisory team.
She said: "As a self-funded student, every bit of funding makes a real difference to my research, so this award means a great deal to me. Finalising my topic was a challenging process and there were times when I doubted myself, but my supervisors have been a constant source of support and encouragement throughout.
"Winning this award has given me confidence that others believe in both the project and my ability to see it through."
Aarya is also building on research led by one of her supervisors, Dr Anatoliy Gorbenko, who has published extensively on how computer systems manage timeouts in large networks. She hopes her work will eventually be adopted by organisations that operate large-scale distributed systems.
Originally from India, Aarya moved to the UK in 2022 to complete a master's in computer science at University of East Anglia before progressing to doctoral study at Leeds Beckett.
Find out more about studying computer science at Leeds Beckett here. To learn more about OpenBright's partnerships, visit their website.
Leeds Beckett University published this content on June 04, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 04, 2026 at 11:33 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]