Electrical and Computer Engineering Research Labs
Research labs supported by a variety of government and industry sponsors provide faculty, students and post-docs with outstanding opportunities for research, development, and technical innovation.
Communications and Networking Laboratory
The CNL Lab, under director Bijan Jabbari, focuses on communication networks and systems, with an emphasis on theory, architecture, modeling, performance analysis, mutli-access, mobility, routing and switching, teletraffic, and protocols
Current areas of research include:
- Routing and path computation in optical networks.
- Optimal resource allocation in wireless networks.
- High-performance computer networks and applications.
Computer Architecture, Machine Learning, and Security (CAMLsec) Lab
The Computer Architecture, Machine Learning, and Security (CAMLsec) Lab, under director Khaled N. Khasawneh, conducts research on machine learning for security, machine learning security & privacy, microarchitecture security, and hardware support for security. Current research topics include:
- Adversarial machine learning
- Privacy-preserving machine learning
- Malware detection
- Side channel attacks
- Transient execution attacks
- IoT security
Cryptographic Engineering Research Group
The CERG Group, under directors Kris Gaj and Jens-Peter Kaps, covers all aspects of implementing cryptographic algorithms in hardware and/or software, ranging from:
- High-performance implementations to ultra-low power implementations of public key and secret key algorithms.
- Fault-tolerant implementations.
- Attack-resistant implementation.
- Implementations of attacks.
CubeSat/SatCom Engineering Lab
The CubeSat/SatCom Engineering lab, under director Peter Pachowicz, focuses on hands-on engineering of ultra-small CubeSats and satellite communications systems by combining research and educational objectives. Lab facilities include:
- CubeSat Development and Testing Lab.
- SatCom Ground Station (VHF/UHF/S-band antenna system).
- Space Communication Station (9.1m dish).
Most hardware and software is designed and built though multiple undergraduate, graduate, and student club projects. Researchers' work covers a broad spectrum of topics such as:
- Development of ultra-small CubeSats.
- Resilient satellite bus architectures.
- Hybrid power systems.
- Rad-hard embedded software.
- Low-noise antennas, signal and data fusion.
- Custom software defined radios.
Hardware Security and Artificial Intelligence (HArt) Lab
Researchers in the HArt lab, under director Sai Manoj Pudukotai Dinakarrao, study computer architecture security using machine learning to create, detect, and defend emerging security threats on computing systems, including side-channel attacks and malware threats in stand-alone and connected IoT devices.
They are also investigating:
- In-memory computing for deep learning architectures.
- Accelerator design for machine learning applications.
- Architecting advanced adversarial threats and defenses for convolutional neural networks.
- Graph neural networks.
- Deep neural networks.
Intelligence Fusion Laboratory
The Intelligence Fusion Lab, under director Xiang Chen, focuses on mobile computing, wearable devices, and embedded systems. Current research topics include:
- Deep learning application and acceleration.
- Distributed mobile computing.
- Machine learning security.
- Mobile display.
- Graphics.
- VR/AR technologies.
Mason Nanoelectronics Lab
The Mason Nano Lab is managed by Ethan Ahn, and focuses on emerging nanoscale materials and device technologies. Current research topics include:
- Energy-efficient logic and memory devices for future computing paradigm
- Carbon-based and other nanoscale low-dimensional materials (e.g. CNT, graphene, Transition Metal Dichalcogenide, etc.)
- Experimental and computational exploration of emerging nanoscale devices with emphasis on carrier transport (electron/phonon/spin)
- Beyond-Si CMOS electronics including spintronics, steep-subthreshold electronics, oxide electronics, and energy conversion and harvesting
Network Architecture and Performance Laboratory (NAPL)
The NAPL Lab, under director Brian L. Mark, conducts research on the design, architecture, and performance of communication networks, encompassing wireline, wireless, and heterogeneous networks. Research covers all aspects of network architecture, from the physical layer to the application layer, which includes:
- Development of theoretical results.
- Algorithm design.
- Numerical computation.
- Computer simulation.
- Hardware and/or software development.
Neural Engineering Lab
The Neural Engineering Lab, under director Nathalia Peixoto, focuses on the development of prosthetic devices (or parts of devices) to help people with disabilities, particularly with pathologies of the nervous system. The lab also studies neuronal cell cultures and biosensors.
Ocean Acoustic Signal Processing Group
The Ocean Acoustic Signal Processing Group, which is a team of graduate students led by Professor Kathleen Wage, works on multi-disciplinary problems that require a synthesis of array processing, acoustics, and oceanography. The group focuses on:
- Random matrix theory.
- Sparse array design.
- Deep-water ambient noise.
- Mode propagation.
The work is funded by the Office of Naval Research.
Parsa Research Laboratory (PRL)
The PRL, under director Maryam Parsa, focuses on developing next generation of neuro-inspired algorithms, neuromorphic computing, and distributed collaborative learning. Current research topics include:
- Bayesian Brain
- Physics-Informed Neuromorphic Computing
- Multi-objective Bayesian-Evolutionary Optimization
- Novel Bio-Inspired Paradigms
- Computational Neuroscience
- Full-Stack Omnidirectional Cognitive Computing
- Neuromorphic Computing for Distributed Learning
- Algorithm-Hardware Codesign
- Safe Lifelong Learning
Quantum-Classical Computer-Aided Design Lab (JQub)
The JQub Lab, under director Weiwen Jiang, focuses on automated machine learning, embedded systems, domain-specific computing and quantum computing. Current research topics include:
- Quantum Machine learning
- Quantum Data Privacy
- Quantum Sensing
- Automated neural network design
- Automated hardware-software co-design
Smart Electronics Lab
The Smart Electronics Laboratory (SEL), led by Qiliang Li, conducts research on the design, integration and analysis of smart devices and electronic systems for applications in advanced computation, sensing and robotics. SEL has a comprehensive research approach from novel nanomaterials, semiconductor devices and circuits to artificial-intelligence enabled sensing systems, which includes:
- Novel Nanomaterials and Devices
- Fourth-generation semiconductors
- Chemical, RF and mechanical sensors
- Intelligent sensing systems
- Sensors in Robotics
Wireless Innovation and Cybersecurity Lab (WICL)
The WICL Lab, under director Kai Zeng, conducts research in wireless security and cyber-physical system security and privacy. Current research areas include:
- 5G cybersecurity.
- Cyber-physical system/Internet of Things security.
- Wireless physical layer security.
- Spectrum-sharing system security and privacy.
- Edge-computing security and privacy with applications of machine learning.
- Cryptography.
- Information theory.
- Optimization techniques.
Affiliated with ECE
Biomedical Imaging Laboratory
The Interdisciplinary Biomedical Imaging Lab conducts translational research using imaging to investigate pathophysiology and function. One overarching focus is the investigation of brain-body interactions through imaging. In particular, we are studying the interactions between the central and peripheral nervous system and the musculoskeletal system in a number of clinical conditions of major public health significance, such as chronic pain, stroke, spinal cord injury, and amputation.
This interdisciplinary group conducts pre-clinical research for developing new technology and translational research on human subjects. The group uses state-of-the-art ultrasound and laser instrumentation for developing new ultrasound, optical, and hybrid imaging techniques.
Our research has potential applications in noninvasive diagnosis, screening, and treatment monitoring for a number of diseases, as well as for understanding the underlying mechanisms of disease. Principal investigators: Siddhartha Sikdar and Parag Chitnis. Peterson Family Health Sciences Hall, Room 3300.