Samira Khan

Samira Khan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Virginia (UVA), leading the ShiftLab research group. Her research focuses on computer architecture, high-performance computing, persistent memory systems, and processing-in-memory (PIM) technologies. Prior to UVA, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Carnegie Mellon University, supported by Intel Labs and an NSF GOALI award. She earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Her work addresses challenges in memory and storage systems, including optimizing persistent memory reliability, enhancing PIM architectures, and mitigating security vulnerabilities in modern hardware. Notable projects include CRISP (a $29.7M initiative to tackle the 'memory wall'), and the development of tools like PiMulator and PIMProf for PIM emulation and profiling.

Research trends in her articles emphasize advancing PIM efficiency, persistent memory security, and cloud-scale system optimization. She has pioneered techniques like NearPM for storage-class applications and EdgeRAG for edge device computing. Her work frequently intersects with real-world applications, such as improving data persistence in networks and enhancing fault tolerance in memory systems.

Grants include NSF GOALI funding and Intel Labs support. She collaborates on multi-institutional projects and maintains an active open-source infrastructure (e.g., SoftMC for DRAM studies). Her lab focuses on bridging hardware-software gaps to deliver scalable, energy-efficient computing solutions.