Ohad Kammar

Ohad Kammar is a Reader at the School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, where he is affiliated with the Laboratory for Foundations of Computer Science. His research bridges theoretical computer science with practical applications in programming languages, probabilistic computing, and conceptual biology. He holds a Royal Society University Research Fellowship focused on foundations for type-driven data science and is involved in multiple significant research projects including ARIA Safeguarded AI and differentiable probabilistic programming semantics.

Dr. Kammar's research spans programming language theory with particular expertise in denotational semantics, algebraic effects, and probabilistic programming. His work explores how to formally model computational effects, create robust type systems, and develop mathematical foundations for probabilistic programming languages. He investigates connections between category theory, domain theory, and practical programming language design, with applications ranging from secure systems to Bayesian inference algorithms. His recent work shows increasing focus on type-driven approaches to data science and AI safety.

Kammar's publication record demonstrates consistent high-impact contributions to top-tier programming language conferences (POPL, ICFP, LICS) with notable recognition including the POPL'19 Distinguished Paper Award and the 2025 ISCA Best Paper Award. His work shows a clear trajectory from foundational theory (algebraic effects, denotational semantics) toward practical applications in probabilistic programming and type-driven data science. Recent publications increasingly integrate concepts from category theory, domain theory, and statistical modeling to address challenges in programming language design for modern computing paradigms.

• 2025 ISCA Best Paper Award for 'Precise exceptions in relaxed architectures'
• POPL'19 Distinguished Paper Award for 'A Domain Theory for Statistical Probabilistic Programming'

Dr. Kammar currently supervises UG4/MInf and MSc projects at the University of Edinburgh and is developing an undergraduate course on type-driven probabilistic modeling. His research is supported by prestigious grants including a Royal Society University Research Fellowship and collaborations with Facebook Research, the National Cyber Security Centre, and the Alan Turing Institute. His work often involves interdisciplinary teams spanning institutions including the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and KAIST.

He is actively involved with the Laboratory for Foundations of Computer Science and the Bayes Centre at the University of Edinburgh. His recent projects include work with Ehud Lamm's Conceptual Biology Lab, demonstrating his interest in bridging computer science with biological concepts. Dr. Kammar is also known for his community service efforts to liberate academic papers from copyright restrictions, making important historical works in programming language theory more accessible to researchers.