Aydin Aysu is an Associate Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, North Carolina State University. His research focuses on hardware-based security , applied cryptography , and computer architecture , with an emphasis on secure systems to counter advanced cyber threats. Ph.D. in Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech (2016) M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Sabanci University, Turkey (2010) B.S. in Microelectronics Engineering, Sabanci University, Turkey (2008) Aysu’s work addresses hardware vulnerabilities through secure design automation, side-channel attack mitigation, and next-generation cryptographic systems. His research extends to AI/ML security , FPGA security , and quantum-resistant cryptography . Notable scientific awards include: NSF CAREER Award (2020) University Faculty Scholars (2024) Bennett Faculty Fellow Award (2020) Best Paper Awards at DATE Conference (2020), ACM GLSVLSI (2019), and others Aysu leads the Hardware Cybersecurity Research Lab (HECTOR) , focusing on pre-silicon security analysis, secure accelerator sharing, and societal impacts of cybersecurity. He actively mentors Ph.D. students and collaborates on funded research projects like the SATC: CORE: SMALL grant.
Dr. Lenka Mareková is a postdoctoral researcher in the Applied Cryptography Group at ETH Zürich. Previously, she completed her PhD in the Information Security Group at Royal Holloway, University of London, supervised by Martin R. Albrecht. Affiliation: ETH Zürich - Department of Computer Science Cryptographic analysis of secure messaging platforms Research focus on end-to-end encryption and real-world security implementations Her research interests span cryptographic protocol analysis, secure communication systems, and privacy-preserving technologies. The 10 most recent publications in her DBLP profile reflect expertise in: Secure messaging protocols (Telegram, Delta Chat) Cloud storage security (MEGA analysis) E-voting systems (Zerovote, E-cclesia) Mobile security frameworks (Android policy enforcement) Mesh network vulnerabilities Current work appears to focus on practical cryptographic implementations and their real-world security implications. Contact via hi@lenka.sh or lenka.marekova@inf.ethz.ch .
Mohammed Y Niamat is a full-time Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Toledo's College of Engineering . His research focuses on hardware security, FPGA vulnerabilities, and blockchain applications in cybersecurity. Research Interests : Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs), FPGA Security, Blockchain-based Security Frameworks, IoT Security, Smart Grid Authentication, Machine Learning Vulnerability Analysis Publications : Over 85 publications from 1986-2024, with recent works on integrations of blockchain and PUFs for secure supply chains, neural network modeling attacks on PUFs, and hardware Trojan detection techniques. Collaborations : Co-authored with Junghwan Kim (4), Weiqing Sun (2), Richard Molyet (1). Recent Article Trends : 2024 works on zero-trust architecture for FPGA supply chains using blockchain and ROPUFs; 2023 studies on IoT device authentication, hardware Trojan detection, and NFT-based IP protection; 2021-2019 research on machine learning attacks against PUFs, lightweight cryptographic designs for IoT, and BER optimization in wireless systems.
Jessica A. Mong, PhD , is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine , where she also serves as Assistant Dean for Graduate & Post-Doctoral Studies and Director of Graduate Education for the Program in Neuroscience. Her research focuses on the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying sex differences in sleep circuitry and the estrogenic modulation of sleep-wake cycles. Primary Appointment: Pharmacology & Physiology Administrative Title: Assistant Dean for Graduate & Post-Doctoral Studies Laboratory Director: Program in Neuroscience Research Interests: Dr. Mong's work investigates how ovarian steroids influence sleep-wake behavior through sexually differentiated neuroanatomical substrates. Key areas include: Mechanisms of estrogenic modulation in the median preoptic nucleus (MnPN) Developmental programming of sex differences in sleep sensitivity Translational studies using rodent and nonhuman primate models of menopause Functional significance of hormonal influences on sleep quality and recovery Scientific Trends: Her recent publications (2023-2025) emphasize: Role of KCNMA1 channelopathy in sleep regulation Adenosinergic signaling in MnPN Translational menopause models Estrogen's protective effects against noise-induced hearing loss Sex-dependent responses to kynurenine pathway challenges Awards & Appointments: NIH BIRCWH Scholar (Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health) Co-Chair, Society for Women’s Health Research Interdisciplinary Research Network on Sex-Differences in Sleep Health NIH/NHLBI R01 HL129138 grant recipient Education & Training: B.S., Biology, Gettysburg College (1987-1991) Ph.D., Neuropharmacology, University of Maryland Baltimore (1994-2000) NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship in Endocrinology, Rockefeller University (2000-2003)
Prof. Dr. Johannes Kinder is a Professor and Chair of Programming Languages and Artificial Intelligence at the Institute of Informatics , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. His research focuses on software security through program analysis and machine learning, particularly targeting malware detection , vulnerability analysis , and reverse engineering . He has held faculty positions at Royal Holloway, University of London, and Bundeswehr University Munich. Research Interests include: Securing software systems via program and machine learning techniques Detection of software vulnerabilities and malware Preventing exploitation through binary analysis Applications of formal methods in systems security Recent Publications highlight advancements in binary function embedding , malware detection in npm , and speculative execution attack modeling . His work appears in top venues like USENIX Security and IEEE S&P . Education : Diplom from TU Munich (2005), Doctorate from TU Darmstadt (2010). Professional Roles : General Chair, ACM CCS 2019 Doctoral Symposium Chair, ESSoS 2016 Program Committee member for NDSS 2026, IEEE S&P 2022-2025
Martin Brisfors is a part-time researcher at KTH Royal Institute of Technology since 2019 and a PhD student in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) since 2022. He is affiliated with the Division of Electronics and Embedded Systems and works in Kista. His research focuses on hardware security and side-channel attacks, with a particular emphasis on cryptographic implementations and countermeasure design. His work spans topics such as post-quantum cryptography (e.g., CRYSTALS-Kyber), AES vulnerability analysis, and the application of deep learning in side-channel attacks. He has contributed to evaluating the efficacy of countermeasures like clock randomization and duplication, uncovering fundamental flaws in their implementation. Brisfors has collaborated on courses such as Hardware Security (IL1333) and Hardware Security (FIL3030) , demonstrating his involvement in both research and education. His publications (2019–2024) reflect a consistent focus on advancing hardware security through empirical analysis and novel attack methodologies.
Prof. Tim Güneysu is a full Professor and Head of the Security Engineering department at the Faculty of Computer Science, Ruhr-Universität Bochum. He serves as Vice Dean for Strategy and Finances (since 2023) and previously as Speaker of the Horst-Görtz Institute for IT-Security (2020-2023). His academic journey includes roles as Associate Professor at the University of Bremen (2015-2017) and Assistant Professor at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (2011-2015). He also holds positions at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) and has conducted postdoctoral research at UMass Amherst. His research focuses on Security-by-Design principles, CAD for Security, and countermeasures against physical attacks. He emphasizes efficient cryptographic implementations and system-level hardware security. Key areas include post-quantum cryptography, side-channel resistant designs, and secure embedded systems. He has contributed over 200 publications in top venues, with recent work on FPGA-based cryptographic accelerators, secure hardware extensions (e.g., KeyVisor), and post-quantum algorithms for IoT. His research themes include agile signature acceleration, fault attack mitigation, and hardware-software co-design for security. Notable projects include CONVOLVE (edge-AI security) and QuantumRISC (quantum-safe systems). His work bridges theoretical cryptography with practical hardware implementations, emphasizing real-world security applications.
Fnu Suya is a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Prior to this, he served as an MC2 Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Maryland, College Park (Oct 2023–Jul 2024), and completed his Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of Virginia under Professors David Evans and Yuan Tian.
Maria Mushtaq is an Associate Professor at Telecom Paris , affiliated with the Information Processing and Communication Laboratory (LTCI) and the Secure and Safe Hardware (SSH) Lab . She received her PhD in Information Security from the University of South Brittany, France (2019) and completed 2 years of postdoctoral research at LIRMM, University of Montpellier under the CNRS excellence post-doc grant. Research Focus: Microarchitectural vulnerability assessment, runtime mitigation against side/covert-channel attacks, cryptanalysis, OS-based security primitives, and hardware-software interface security Technical Expertise: Cache timing attacks, transient execution attacks (Spectre/Meltdown), Hardware Performance Counter analysis, gem5 simulation Her recent work involves RISC-V security analysis using gem5 simulations and machine learning for attack detection. She serves as Guest Editor for the Journal of Applied Sciences special issue on Side Channel Attacks in Embedded Systems and has been on the Program Committee for the European Test Symposium (2020-2021). 2021 HiPEAC Collaboration Grant recipient Organized IP Paris Winter School on Microarchitectural Security (2022) Active in international conferences as panelist and keynote speaker
Albert Treytl is a Senior Researcher at the Danube University Krems , serving as Head of the Center for Distributed Systems and Sensor Networks and Deputy Head of the Department for Integrated Sensor Systems. He holds a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Vienna University of Technology (2001) and has over two decades of experience in communication technologies and security. Current roles: Head of Center, Deputy Head of Department Research focus: Security for embedded systems, IoT, digital twins, AI in energy optimization Involvement: IEEE, CEN TC 247 WG4, IEEE1588 standardization His work addresses distributed data management, smart grid security, and model predictive control strategies for energy efficiency in buildings and traffic systems. He leads multiple national and international projects funded by FFG and EU programs. Recent research projects include KI4HVACS (AI-driven HVAC optimization), Factories4Renewables (industrial renewable energy integration), and Dataskop (sensor-based data economy). He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and serves as co-lecturer at the Vienna University of Technology.
Dr. Shirin Nilizadeh is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at The University of Texas at Arlington's College of Engineering. She leads the Security and Privacy Research Lab, conducting interdisciplinary research at the intersection of cybersecurity, privacy, machine learning, and social media analysis. Her work addresses critical societal issues related to online security, privacy, and safety through data-driven approaches. Dr. Nilizadeh received her PhD in Computer Science from Indiana University in 2014, followed by MS in Computer Science from Amirkabir University (2007) and BS in Computer Engineering from Islamic Azad University (2004). Her research focuses on security and privacy in systems and social networks, employing techniques from machine learning and big data analytics. She takes a highly interdisciplinary approach, integrating AI, NLP, social sciences, and public health to address societal issues in cybersecurity and privacy. Her research objectives include: (1) detecting and characterizing emerging threats in online social networks like social engineering attacks, misinformation, and online hate speech; (2) advancing the adversarial robustness and fairness of ML and NLG systems; and (3) studying humans' online behaviors through data-driven interdisciplinary research. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on AI-generated security threats, particularly phishing scams using LLMs, NFT fraud detection, social media toxicity analysis, and content moderation systems. Her work bridges theoretical security research with practical applications, often addressing real-world security challenges through innovative technical solutions. Among her notable scientific achievements are the prestigious NSF CAREER award (2023), Comcast Innovation Awards (2022 and 2024), College of Engineering Outstanding Early Career Research award (2024), and IEEE SP 2024 Distinguished Paper Award. Her work has also received best paper and technical poster awards at eCrime 2021 and NDSS 2022. Dr. Nilizadeh has successfully mentored numerous doctoral and master's students while securing significant research funding, including multiple NSF grants and Comcast Innovation Fund awards. She leads a vibrant research group that has produced impactful work cited in official reports submitted to The Supreme Court and the EU Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs. Her lab has also received coverage from WIRED, MIT Technology Review, Orange's Hello Future, and Communications of the ACM. She serves on numerous program committees for top international conferences including ACM CCS, USENIX Security, and POPETS, and has organized outreach programs like OurCS@DFW to broaden participation of underrepresented students in computing.
Peter Schwabe is a scientific director at the Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy and holds academic positions as a part-time professor for cryptographic engineering in the Digital Security Group at Radboud University, Faculty of Science, and as an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Computer Science at Ruhr University Bochum. His career spans multiple prestigious institutions including Academia Sinica and National Taiwan University. Dr. Schwabe's research focuses on cryptography, particularly post-quantum cryptography, cryptographic engineering, and implementation security. His work addresses critical challenges in secure cryptographic implementations, side-channel resistance, and the transition to quantum-resistant algorithms. He has made significant contributions to NIST's post-quantum cryptography standardization project, particularly with CRYSTALS-Kyber which was selected for standardization in July 2022. His publication record shows a strong emphasis on practical implementations of cryptographic algorithms, formal verification of security properties, and addressing real-world security challenges. Recent work centers on verifying Kyber implementations, protecting against Spectre variants, and developing high-assurance cryptographic software. Dr. Schwabe has received significant recognition in the field, serving as an elected member of the IACR Board of Directors and participating in various steering committees including the IACR CHES and RWC Steering Committees. He also serves on advisory boards for several security-focused companies. As an advisor, he has supervised numerous PhD students working on cutting-edge cryptographic research, with recent graduates focusing on post-quantum cryptography, side-channel resistance, and formal verification of cryptographic implementations. His research group actively contributes to both theoretical advances and practical implementations in cryptography.
Mathias Payer is an associate professor at EPFL's School of Computer and Communication Sciences (IC), leading the HexHive research group since 2018. He focuses on strengthening software and system security through fuzzing, vulnerability mitigation, and compiler-based approaches. His work includes open-source prototypes and contributions to embedded systems, IoT security, and trusted execution environments. Education: PhD in Computer Science (Dr. sc. ETH) from ETH Zurich (2012), postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley (2012–2014), and assistant professor at Purdue University (2014–2018). Tenured at EPFL since 2021. Research Interests: Fuzzing frameworks, memory safety, vulnerability analysis, compiler optimizations for security, and firmware security. Projects include Enclosure , HexType , and DP3T (decentralized contact tracing). Awards: Multiple best/distinguished paper awards at top venues (e.g., Usenix Security, NDSS, RAID). Co-founded the EPFL polygl0ts and Purdue b01lers CTF teams to foster cybersecurity innovation. Labs/Teams: HexHive group, CTF initiatives, and collaborations with industry (e.g., Intel SGX, Android security).
Mahdi Fazeli is an Associate Professor at the School of Information Technology, Halmstad University, Sweden, specializing in hardware security and trust, energy-efficient computing, and embedded and cyber-physical systems. His academic journey began with a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Sharif University of Technology, Iran, in 2011. His career progression includes positions as Associate Professor at Bogazici University (2019-2021) and Iran University of Science and Technology (2016-2019), and Assistant Professor at the same institution (2011-2016). His research interests focus on hardware security and trust, reliable VLSI circuits and systems, energy-efficient computing, and dependable embedded systems. His work bridges the gap between theoretical security concepts and practical implementations in real-world systems, particularly in IoT and embedded environments. He has established himself as a leading researcher in Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs), hardware trojans detection, and energy-efficient security solutions for resource-constrained devices. His publication record shows a clear progression and deepening expertise in hardware security, with recent work focusing on cutting-edge applications in edge computing, vehicular networks, and IoT security. His 2023-2025 publications demonstrate significant contributions to magnetic memory-based security primitives, anomaly detection systems, and energy-efficient security mechanisms. Throughout his career, Fazeli has led multiple research initiatives including the Dependable Systems and Architecture Lab (DSA) and the Networked and Embedded Systems Lab at Iran University of Science and Technology. His leadership extends to heading the Hardware Group and serving as Vice Chair for Educational Affairs, demonstrating his commitment to both research excellence and academic administration.
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Rainer Leupers is a faculty member at RWTH Aachen University, chairing the Department of Software for Systems on Silicon. His research focuses on embedded systems, hardware-software co-design, virtual prototyping, and security in computing-in-memory architectures. He has published extensively on RRAM accelerators, logic locking, and neuromorphic security. Chair of Software for Systems on Silicon Research in hardware security and deep learning accelerators Recent publications on cross-tool virtual frameworks and thermal side-channel attacks His work bridges system-level modeling with practical security implementations, emphasizing reliability and performance in heterogeneous computing environments. Key trends in his 2025-2023 articles include compute-in-memory optimization, neural network inference efficiency, and security vulnerabilities in emerging hardware. Awards and formal recognitions are not explicitly detailed in the provided materials. He has not directly mentioned advising students or research grants in the given text fragments. The chair's contact information includes an office at ICT Cube 1, Electrical Engineering, Aachen, with direct email and website links.
