Ning Zhang

Ning Zhang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, affiliated with the Center for Trustworthy AI in Cyberphysical Systems (CPS). He joined the university in Fall 2018, following an 11-year tenure at Raytheon as a Principal Cyber Engineer and Technical Lead, where he focused on securing critical networked and cyberphysical infrastructures.

Education:

• PhD in Computer Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (2016)
• BS and MS in Computer Science, University of Massachusetts Amherst (2007)

Research Interests: Professor Zhang’s work bridges security, computer architecture, and programming languages. Key areas include secure software/hardware systems, side-channel analysis, malware forensics, and automated vulnerability discovery. His recent focus includes safeguarding generative AI agents and enhancing cybersecurity in agentic systems.

Awards:

• USENIX Distinguished Paper Award (2024) for research on generative AI security circumvention

Grants & Collaborations:

• Co-recipient of a $1.5M DoD grant (2025) to advance generative AI robustness

Labs & Teams: Leads research initiatives in system security and trustworthy AI within the McKelvey School of Engineering.