Tao Ni
Professor Tao Ni (Tony) is focused on building secure, reliable and energy-efficient cyber-physical systems to enable trustworthy computing and confidential sensing in critical infrastructure. His approach combines hardware-software co-design with advanced AI technologies.
Biography
Ni is an assistant professor of Computer Science in the Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division at KAUST. His research spans computer systems security, machine learning systems security, embodied AI security, and low-power mobile computing.
Before joining KAUST, Ni was a postdoctoral researcher at the City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), working under the supervision of Professor Cong Wang. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from CityUHK in 2024, a Master of Computing from the Australian National University in 2020, and a Bachelor of Engineering in electrical engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2018.
Ni's dissertation research received the CityUHK's Outstanding Research Thesis Award. His work won the Springer Cybersecurity Best Practical Paper Award in 2024, and he was also recognized as a rising star at the 22nd ACM International Conference on Mobile Systems, Applications and Services.
Research Interests
Ni’s research lies at the intersection of cybersecurity, the Internet of Things and AI, with an emphasis on designing secure, reliable and efficient cyber-physical systems. His goal is to ensure trustworthy computing and confidential sensing in mobile devices and critical infrastructures through innovative hardware-software co-design and AI-driven techniques.
Key research areas include:
- Cyber-physical systems security
- Machine learning systems security
- Embodied AI security
- Low-power and battery-free mobile computing
- Next-generation energy-harvesting technology
Awards and Distinctions
- Outstanding Research Thesis Award, City University of Hong Kong, 2025
- ACM MobiSys Rising Star, 22nd ACM International Conference on Mobile Systems, Applications and Services, 2024
- Best Poster Award, Asian Student Symposium on Emerging Technologies, 2024
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Computer Science, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2024
- Laurea (BSc and MSc)
- Computer Science, Australian National University, Australia, 2020
- Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.)
- Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, 2018