
Our
lab
is always looking for bright and motivated students from a diverse set
of backgrounds. Our research is multidisciplinary across several layers
of the stack including hardware, architecture, systems, and software. We
mainly focus on improving the security and privacy of computing systems.
Read more about our lab
here. Also, check out our
Projects page to find more information about
our current research. Our work is collaborative within and beyond our
group with other research groups worldwide. If you are a current or
prospective UCLA student and want to be part of a forward-looking,
innovative, and culturally-diverse group, please read the following and
contact us accordingly.
- Prospective PhD (or MS/PhD) Students: We have multiple positions available starting in Spring or Fall 2024. Please read before contacting us and/or applying to UCLA.
- Undergraduate and MS UCLA Students: If you are a UCLA student (CS or ECE) and interested in doing research during the academic year or the summer, please read
- Incoming MS Students: If you are joining UCLA soon and looking for research and/or TA positions, please read
- Postdocs: We have one post-doc position available in the broad area of Hardware Security or Machine Learning Security and Privacy. Starting date is flexible and could be as early as Spring 2025. If you are interested, please email Nader ("nsehat [at] ucla [dot] edu") to start the conversation.
If you are interested in joining us please use the following for contacting Nader (read it carefully please).
We are looking for PhD students who are interested in doing research at the intersection of security, embedded system/IoT devices, and computer architecture. Ideal candidates should have some level of familiarity with fundamental concepts (or skills) in some of the following topics (depending on the project):
- Embedded Systems: Familiarity with the basics of embedded system design.
- Computer Systems and Security: trustworthy and secure ML/AI, secure computation, memory safety, and side-channels,
- Computer Architecture: processor design, hardware enclave, and cache/memory,
- Programming: Python, C/C++, Micro-Architectural Simulators (e.g., gem5), Verilog.
If you are interested in joining us please use the following for contacting Nader (read it carefully please).
We have paid and unpaid positions through various projects and programs for undergraduate (and sometimes Master's) research. If you want to join, please contact Nader ("nsehat [at] ucla [dot] edu"), with the subject "[BS/MS Research]". (please use exactly this, otherwise, it will be filtered in the wrong folder.) In your email, please attach your CV and what year are you in, and what type of research you want to do.
If you are an incoming MS student and want to do research, please contact Nader ("nsehat [at] ucla [dot] edu"), with the subject "[MS Research]". (please use exactly this, otherwise, it will be filtered in the wrong folder.) In your email, please attach your CV and your background. If you are looking for a TA position, please note that the ECE department has a policy that does not allow first-year MS students to become TAs. You may find a position in other departments though, as some don't have this restriction. If you are a second-year MS, please apply through the TA application that will be shared by the Graduate Office. We will review the relevant applications if there is an available position.
If you are applying for a PhD position, please follow these guidelines:
- Use the following subject for your email: [PhD] Prospective Student (it is important to use exactly this, otherwise your email will be filtered in a wrong folder). Send your emails to "nsehat [at] ucla [dot] edu"
- In your email, please attach (in PDF format) your CV and Transcript (or list your most relevant courses in your CV). Also, make sure to list your past and future research interest (either in the body of your email or in your CV).
- If you are applying for Fall, a good time to email is the September-December time frame. While I may not answer every email, I will make a shortlist and contact a select number of students after the deadline (usually mid/end of December) to schedule a video call.
-
If you have made it this far, please
mention your favorite TV series (or movie) at the end of your
email ;) (mine is
)
In your application, please list 'Nader Sehatbakhsh' as a
preferred advisor. You can find more information about UCLA ECE
application requirements
here. NO GRE this year!
Good Luck!
Photos
Take a sneak peek at some of our research shenanigans, both the serious and the seriously unrelated ones.












