Lab

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. Focus on the research questions and main contributions of these papers, and use this reading to explain what you would like to investigate. 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 in your own words, and explain what interests you about my group’s work. Using AI to polish the wording is fine, but the message should reflect your own understanding and motivation.

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.

Developing a proposal

A fellowship is an opportunity to develop your own research ideas in collaboration with the group. Before getting in touch, please read some of my recent publications and consider how your proposed work connects with them. I would be interested to hear about the questions you want to investigate, the experience you would bring, and the directions you would like to explore during the fellowship.

Getting in touch

Please email me with:

• Your CV, including publications.
• A brief outline of your proposed research and how it connects with my group’s work.
• The fellowship scheme or schemes you are considering, their deadlines, and how you meet their eligibility requirements.

Please get in touch several months before the application deadline. This gives us time to discuss the project, develop the proposal, and check any departmental requirements before submission.

Fellowship schemes

Depending on your career stage and circumstances, schemes to consider include:

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships, which support research and training across disciplines and have specific international mobility requirements.
• Royal Society Newton International Fellowships, for eligible early-career researchers based outside the UK who wish to conduct research here.
• 1851 Research Fellowships, which support independent research by early-career scientists and engineers.

Please check the scheme’s current eligibility rules and deadlines before contacting me. I am also happy to discuss other suitable fellowships you have identified.

College research fellowships

Oxford colleges offer Junior Research Fellowships (JRFs) and equivalent early-career research opportunities under other titles, such as Post-Doctoral Research Fellowships at All Souls. Eligible subjects, selection criteria, and application dates vary by college and competition. See the college academic vacancies and University Gazette for advertisements.

Check whether a fellowship is stipendiary (providing salary funding) or non-stipendiary (requiring separate salary funding). For example, at Brasenose, the Nicholas Kurti Junior Research Fellowship in the Sciences is non-stipendiary and requires a salaried research post at the University or an associated research institute. If you are considering a college fellowship, please get in touch to discuss how your research could connect with my group.

Choosing a project

Start with the department’s student-project page, which lists potential projects and supervisors and indicates suitability for Part B, Part C, and MSc students.

You can work on a project I have proposed or suggest your own project related to my research.

Contact and registration

Please contact me during the supervisor-contact period specified by the department. In your email, include your course and year of study, the project or topic that interests you, and a brief description of your relevant background.

Once we have agreed on a project, complete the department’s registration process and any proposal required for your course. Consult the departmental guidance and your course handbook for current deadlines, assessment requirements, and advice on writing your dissertation.

Research visits. Please email me at least six months before your proposed visit with your CV, current affiliation, a brief research outline, proposed dates, and details of your secured funding. Explain how the visit would connect with our research.

Collaborations. Please email me with a brief description of the question or project you have in mind, how it relates to my research, and what you would like us to work on together.

Doctoral students

Name	Role	Year	Subsequent position
Baoxiang JiangXi’an Jiaotong University	Visiting PhD	2025
Tristan BilotUniversité Paris-Saclay	Visiting PhD	2024	Postdoctoral Fellow, UBC
Wellison Raul Mariz SantosUFPE	Visiting PhD	2024	Researcher and Professor, CISSA/CESAR

Master’s students

Name	Role	Year	Subsequent position
Tanya PrasadUBC	MSc	2025	Software Engineer, Amazon AWS
Nichole BouffordUBC	MSc	2024	Software Developer, Oracle Labs
Jinyuan LiangUBC	MSc	2024	Security Analyst, WeBank
Haley LiUBC Co-supervised with Mathias Lécuyer	MSc	2024	Research Engineer, Huawei Canada
Mayank TiwaryUBC Co-supervised with Ivan Beschastnikh	MSc	2023	Senior Member of Technical Staff, Salesforce
Bogdan SteleaBristol	MEng	2021	Software Engineer, Amazon
Josh TurnerBristol	MEng	2021	Software Engineer, Amiosec
Chetankumar MistryBristol	MEng	2020	Software Engineer, ARM
Xiaoxiao WuBristol	MSc	2020	Consultant, Deloitte
Yangyang TengBristol	MSc	2019	Data Analyst, Bloomberg

Undergraduate students

Name	Role	Year	Subsequent position
Lavanya MenonUBC	BSc	2026	Application Development Analyst, Citi
Anastasiia BeheniUkrainian Catholic University	Visiting BSc	2025	Security Software Engineer, Samsung
Ziying ShaoBristol	BSc	2019	UG Researcher, Beijing Institute of Big Data Research