Don Sannella

Don Sannella is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Edinburgh, affiliated with the Laboratory for Foundations of Computer Science (LFCS) within the School of Informatics. His research focuses on formal methods, algebraic specification (notably the CASL language), security, and theoretical computer science. He has contributed to foundational work in specification languages and their implementation, including the CoFI initiative. Sannella has authored influential books on formal software development and algebraic specifications. He holds the rank of Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His work spans academic leadership, editorship of Theoretical Computer Science, and projects like Mobility and Security (MRG) and App Guarden for secure mobile applications. His teaching includes courses on functional programming, computability, and formal methods. He has advised students such as Nikita Samarin and collaborated on research grants, including those in resource analysis and concurrency. Sannella’s contributions integrate rigorous formal techniques with practical software development challenges, emphasizing modularity, correctness, and security.