research
I am interested in computing infrastructures, specifically networked systems. In the past I have done extensive work on topics including routing behaviour in backbone networks, future network architectures, performance analysis and modelling of distributed systems, enterprise network management, and analysis of network topologies. Most recently I have become interested in interdisciplinary research and particularly the interplay between networked systems and topics that traditionally fall under human-computer interaction. For example,
- how can we build usable home networking infrastructure?
- how can we increase legibility of current and future information infrastructures, supporting human-data interaction?
- how can we rebuild infrastructures to support users deploying personal clouds?
- how can we build systems that are ethical by design?
I try to maintain a complete list of my publications in addition to the usual sites including Google Scholar, Microsoft Academic, CiteULike and the ACM DL.
Projects
I am actively involved in a number of current projects, including:
- Databox, building infrastructure to support us all in managing our personal data.
- Contrive, supporting the HAT Living Labs.
- Networks as a Service, exploring how to provide application control over network resources, down to programmable hardware.
- MirageOS, developing the OCaml unikernel, Mirage.
- Artcodes, developing beautiful, machine-readable codes.
Completed past projects include:
More details of my past and present EPSRC funding portfolio can be found at Grants of the Web.
Students
Any funded places that I have will be advertised via the University. Please read any adverts there carefully – funding eligibility requirements often mean that studentships are only accessible by UK/EU students. If you are interested in applying to undertake a Ph.D. with me, before I can consider your request I will need to see the following:
- Your CV and research proposal – I need to know what you want to do before we can discuss whether I’d be an appropriate choice of supervisor!
- An indication of how you expect to be funded – unfortunately nothing is free, including Ph.D. study.
I will not respond to enquiries that do not provide this information.
Current
I am fortunate to have worked, and to continue to work, with some excellent Ph.D. students on a wide range of topics.
- Sultan Alanazi (2012, Nottingham), co-supervised with Prof. Derek McAuley. Recommendation systems using rich personal data.
- Luis Carlos Oviedo Garcia (2014, Nottingham), co-supervised with Prof. Derek McAuley. Application-Controllable Load-Balancing.
- Steven Luland (2013, Nottingham), co-supervised with Prof. Derek McAuley and Dr James Pinchin. http://cubiewave.wordpress.com/
- Dominic Price (2013, Nottingham), co-supervised with Prof. Chris Greenhalgh. User-focused social network platforms.
Graduated
- Dr Christina-Dialechti Emmanouil (University of Nottingham, 2014–2017), co-supervised with Prof. Derek McAuley, Dr Michael Brown and Prof. Lilian Edwards. “Designing for the commercial exploitation of online identity”
- Dr Liz Dowthwaite (University of Nottingham, 2012–2017), co-supervised with Dr Robert Houghton and Dr Alexa Spence. “Crowdfunding Webcomics: The Role of Incentives & Reciprocity in Monetising Free Content”
- Dr Marjan Falahrastegar (Queen Mary, University of London, 2012–2016), co-supervised with Prof. Steve Uhlig and Dr Hamed Haddadi. “Online Web Tracking Ecosystem”
- Dr Robert Spencer (University of Nottingham, 2011–2016), co-supervised with Prof. Tom Rodden. “Understanding Configuration History of Domestic Networks”
- Dr Anthony Brown (University of Nottingham, 2010–2015), co-supervised with Prof. Tom Rodden. “Domesticating Home Networks”
- Dr Jianhua Shao (University of Nottingham, 2010–2015), co-supervised with Dr George Kuk. “Strategic Signals in the App Economy – An Empirical Study of Google Play Store”
- Dr Ewa Luger (University of Nottingham, 2009–2013), co-supervised with Prof. Tom Rodden. “Consent reconsidered: reframing consent for ubiquitous computing systems”
- Dr Hamed Haddadi (University College London, 2004–2008), co-supervised with Dr Andrew W. Moore and Dr Miguel Rio. “Topological Characteristics of IP Networks”
Publications
Full citation details are available in my github BibTeX repo for up-to-date citation details. Please contact me if you have any problems obtaining any of these.