Professor Dabbagh's research is in the areas of digital signal processing, image processing, and video processing.  He has conducted research on the development of high performance multiprocessor implementation of computational algorithms under the constraints of VLSI environment. Several architectures have been developed for the implementation of 1-D and 2-D digital filters, and block state-space image processing. 

Professor Dabbagh's research interests also include the development of algorithms in video motion estimation, pattern analysis and classification, and the application of signal processing techniques in software systems.