Research topics

I am especially interested in projects on intrusion detection and system observability. I also welcome proposals on other topics closely related to my research expertise.

Intrusion detection and investigation

How can we detect attacks from the traces they leave in computer systems and understand what happened? My research combines system provenance and machine learning to identify malicious behavior and reconstruct attacks.

System observability

How can we obtain a detailed, trustworthy view of what a system is doing without imposing excessive overhead? My research explores mechanisms for observing operating systems and cloud infrastructure, and ways to organize the resulting information so that we can understand system behavior and investigate problems.

Who should apply

I welcome applicants from all backgrounds who are curious about how computer systems work and want to investigate problems in security and observability. I especially encourage first-generation students and students from underrepresented or marginalized groups to apply (note that you may be eligible for an Academic Futures scholarship). Prior research experience is particularly valuable, whether through a thesis, a research internship, or research and development in industry. I would be interested to hear about the questions you explored, your contributions, and what you learned. Experience with operating systems, security, or machine learning is useful, but you do not need experience in every area.

Funding

I currently have one fully funded DPhil place for 2027 entry. Additional places will depend on securing scholarship funding. Another option is the Oxford-Max-Planck Doctoral Programme. You can apply to Oxford before funding is confirmed.

Most Oxford scholarships consider eligible applicants automatically when they apply by the course’s scholarship deadline. Some awards require a separate application; use Oxford’s scholarship search to check eligibility and application requirements. I also encourage you to seek external funding, including scholarships from your home country that support study abroad. Start looking early, as each scheme has its own eligibility criteria and application deadlines. Admission and funding are separate decisions.

For budgeting, see Oxford’s guidance on the cost of living.

Before applying

Before applying, search the research literature and read recent papers relevant to your interests. Use this reading to develop and motivate the research questions you describe in your application. Useful starting points include the proceedings of leading conferences in:

• Security: USENIX Security, IEEE S&P, ACM CCS, and NDSS.
• Systems: SOSP and OSDI.
• Machine learning and data mining: NeurIPS, ICML, and KDD.

How to apply

Apply by the December deadline to be considered for Oxford scholarships. The final application deadline is expected in March. Check the DPhil in Computer Science course page for the exact deadlines. Name me as a prospective supervisor in your application. Your choice of college does not affect your ability to work with me.

Contact your referees early so they have time to submit their references by the relevant deadline. You may also be eligible for an application fee waiver; check the eligibility criteria and how to request one before you apply. For questions about fee waivers, contact Oxford’s Graduate Admissions team.

Your application should include a research proposal or statement of research interests of up to 1,000 words, excluding the bibliography. Explain what you would like to work on, how it connects with my research interests, and how it builds on your previous research experience. Discuss relevant papers from your own literature search and explain how they inform the questions you want to investigate. If you propose a specific project, outline how you might approach it and evaluate the results.

You do not need to commit to a fixed project at this stage. During your DPhil, we will refine your ideas and agree on your research topic together.

Contacting me

You do not need to contact me or receive a reply before applying and naming me as a prospective supervisor.

You are welcome to email me with [Prospective Student] in the subject line. Briefly describe your research interests and experience, and explain how they connect with my group’s work.

I am happy to comment on how your proposal or research interests fit with my group’s work. I do not review full application packages by email or discuss your chances of admission. All applications must go through Oxford’s application system. Generic inquiries may not receive a response.

Given the large number of inquiries, I cannot offer video calls to all prospective applicants. To keep the process fair, I do not arrange calls before the interview stage.

For questions about entry requirements or other administrative matters, contact graduate.admissions@cs.ox.ac.uk.

Current members

Past students and visitors

Doctoral students

Master’s students

Undergraduate students

Program Committee

• IEEE S&P 2026
• ACM ASPLOS 2021 (ERC), 2025, 2026
• ACM EuroSys 2020, 2023, 2025, 2026, 2027
• USENIX Security 2024, 2025, 2026
• ACM CCS 2022, 2023, 2026
• ACM REP 2023, 2024
• ACM SOSP 2023
• ACM SoCC 2023
• IEEE EuroS&P 2023
• ACM/IFIP Middleware 2023
• IEEE IC2E 2021, 2022
• ACM M4IoT 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
• USENIX TaPP 2017, 2019, 2024
• IEEE CLAW 2016, 2017, 2018

Reviewer/External

• ACM CCS 2020

Organization

• ACM REP General Chair 2025
• USENIX TaPP Program Chair 2020, Program co-Chair 2021
• IEEE IC2E Publicity Chair 2017, Tutorial Chair 2021

Oxford

UBC

Bristol