Xiaolin Xu
Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Research Focus
Security, Machine Learning, AI Security/Privacy, Energy-efficient Deep Learning, Computer Architecture, FPGA, Embedded Systems, VLSI
Education
- PhD, Computer Systems Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2016
Research Overview
Security, Machine Learning, AI Security/Privacy, Energy-efficient Deep Learning, Computer Architecture, FPGA, Embedded Systems, VLSI
Selected Research Projects
- Securing Brain-inspired Hyperdimensional Computing against Design-time and Run-time Attacks for Edge Devices
- – Principle Investigator, National Science Foundation
- CAREFREE:Cloud infrAstructure ResiliencE of the Future foR tEstbeds, accelerators and nEtworks
- – Principle Investigator, National Science Foundation
- CAREER Award: Securing Reconfigurable Hardware Accelerator for Machine Learning: Threats and Defenses
- – Principle Investigator, National Science Foundation
- Accelerating Privacy-Preserving Machine Learning as a Service: From Algorithm to Hardware
- – Principle Investigator, National Science Foundation
- Secure and Robust Machine Learning in Multi-Tenant Cloud FPGA
- – Principle Investigator, National Science Foundation
- Bolstering UAV Cybersecurity Education through Curriculum Development with Hands-on Laboratory Framework
- – Principle Investigator, National Science Foundation
Department Research Areas
Selected Publications
See faculty website (https://www.xiaolinxu.com/publication.html) for updated publication list.
Nov 13, 2023
ARL Grant to Improve Cybersecurity and Robustness in Additive Manufacturing
MIE Professor Sinan Müftü and Assistant Professor Ozan Özdemir were awarded a $1.5 million research grant by the Army Research Laboratories (ARL) to spearhead innovative initiatives in cybersecurity and enhancement of mechanical robustness in parts and coatings produced through Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing.
Jul 25, 2023
Enhancing Security for Brain-Inspired Computing
ECE Assistant Professor Xiaolin Xu, in collaboration with Shaolei Ren from the University of California-Riverside, was awarded a $600,000 NSF grant for “Securing Brain-inspired Hyperdimensional Computing against Design-time and Run-time Attacks for Edge Devices.”
Jul 21, 2023
Securing Scientific Cyberinfrastructures from Advanced Attacks
ECE Assistant Professor Xiaolin Xu is leading a $1.2M NSF grant, in collaboration with ECE Professor Miriam Leeser and Mike Zink from the University of Massachusetts, for “CAREFREE:Cloud infrAstructure ResiliencE of the Future foR tEstbeds, accelerators and nEtworks.”
Jul 14, 2023
NSF CAREER Award to Enhance the Security of Machine Learning Hardware Accelerators
ECE Assistant Professor Xiaolin Xu was awarded a $600,000 NSF CAREER Award for “Securing Reconfigurable Hardware Accelerator for Machine Learning: Threats and Defenses.”
Jul 06, 2023
Making AI More Secure with Privacy-Preserving Machine Learning
ECE Assistant Professor Xiaolin Xu was awarded a $1.2 million NSF grant for “Accelerating Privacy-Preserving Machine Learning as a Service: From Algorithm to Hardware.” The project aims to accelerate machine learning (ML) as a service by developing efficient, scalable, and encryption-conscious computing paradigms using new ML-specific cryptographic operators, accuracy-preserving and crypto-friendly neural architectures, and pioneered algorithm-hardware co-design methodologies.
Oct 31, 2022
ECE Faculty and PhD Student Receive IEEE/ACM William J. McCalla ICCAD Best Paper Nomination
ECE Assistant Professor Xiaolin Xu and student Tong Zhou, PhD’25, and coauthor Dr. Shaolei Ren from UC Riverside, received the IEEE/ACM William J. McCalla ICCAD Best Paper Nomination, at the 2022 International Conference on Computer-Aided Design (IEEE/ACM ICCAD, San Diego, CA), for their paper titled “ObfuNAS: A Neural Architecture Search-based DNN Obfuscation Approach”.
Jul 18, 2022
Creating Defenses Against Multi-Tenant ML Cloud-FPGA Vulnerabilities
ECE Assistant Professor Xiaolin Xu, in collaboration with Arizona State University, was awarded a $500K NSF grant to design a “Secure and Robust Machine Learning in Multi-Tenant Cloud FPGA.”
Jun 28, 2022
ECE PhD Wins ACM TODAES Rookie Author of the Year Award
Computer engineering student, Shijin Duan, PhD’25, advised by ECE Assistant Professor Xiaolin Xu, is the recipient of the prestigious ACM Transactions on Design Automation of Electronic Systems (TODAES) Rookie Author of the Year (RAY) Award, for their paper titled “FPGAPRO: A Defense Framework Against Crosstalk-Induced Secret Leakage in FPGA”.
Nov 10, 2020
ECE PhD Students Win 3rd Place at Embedded Security Challenge (ECS) at the CSAW 2020 Conference
ECE PhD students Wenhao Wang, Shijin Duan, and Yukui Luo, advised by Professor Xiaolin Xu, recently participated in the Embedded Security Challenge (ECS) at the CSAW 2020 conference, placing 3rd in the US-Canada region.
Oct 26, 2020
Improving the Cybersecurity of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
ECE Assistant Professor Xiaolin Xu, in collaboration with Houbing Song at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Jiawei Yuan at UMass Dartmouth, was awarded a $500K NSF grant for “Bolstering UAV Cybersecurity Education through Curriculum Development with Hands-on Laboratory Framework”.