Renata Borovica-Gajic is an Associate Professor in Data Analytics and an ARC DECRA Fellow at the School of Computing and Information Systems (CIS), University of Melbourne. She also serves as Associate Dean (Diversity and Inclusion) for the Faculty of Engineering and IT, demonstrating leadership in both research and academic community development. Her research lies at the intersection of database systems, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, with a vision of creating adaptive, self-driving database engines that optimize query execution in real-time. Her work spans learned indexes, query optimization, data quality, and data-driven traffic optimization, aiming to reduce costs and improve performance in data analytics. The recent publications reflect a strong trend toward integrating machine learning into core database operations—particularly through learned indexes, bandit-based tuning, and reinforcement learning for traffic systems. These works emphasize automation, provable guarantees, and real-time adaptation, showcasing a cohesive research agenda focused on intelligent, self-optimizing data systems. Her scientific excellence is recognized by numerous awards, including: L'Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Fellowship (2023) Victorian Young Tall Poppy (2024) Test of Time Award at SIGMOD 2022 Multiple Research and Teaching Excellence Awards from the University of Melbourne Google Research Inclusion Award (2021) She actively mentors PhD students and leads significant research projects funded by the Australian Research Council, Google, and Telstra. Her service includes roles as Associate Editor for SIGMOD Record, conference organization (e.g., aiDM, ADC, VLDB), and leadership in diversity and inclusion initiatives. She has also contributed to influential publications such as a chapter in the 7th edition of Database System Concepts . Her research lab focuses on AI-powered databases, traffic optimization via reinforcement learning, and self-healing data systems, positioning her at the forefront of next-generation data management.











