We will be looking for PhD students to join our team in Fall 2026! Please read below for FAQ. 

1. How does the PhD program at NYUAD work?

PhD students are hired through the (new, unified) doctorate program of the NYU Tandon School of Engineering and Courant Institute. Students receive full funding via the Global PhD Student Fellowship. This fellowship covers all fees, along with generous assistantships and stipends for housing and travel. You will spend your first year in New York to complete your course requirements for the program, and then relocate to Abu Dhabi to do your research for the rest of the program. At the end of your program, you receive a degree, which also provides you with the same benefits as an American-university degree (e.g., OPT).

2. Sounds great! How do I apply?

Please apply via the admissions portal. Be sure to submit your materials before the application deadline of 12 December 2025. The website also contains details on admission requirements. When completing the admissions form, you can mark the NYU Abu Dhabi campus as an option. The form also allows you to indicate professors you are interested in working with, where you can put Sandra's name. In addition to applying via the portal, please send Sandra an email.

3. What are you looking for in a PhD student?

I'm looking for curious and motivated students who are keen to do applied research in cybersecurity and privacy. Ideally, candidates will have excellent communication skills and be open to working in a team. Prior experience in the lab's research areas is not required, but evidence of you having shown interest in and worked hard on something would be a positive (e.g., projects, papers, internships, activities, academics, etc.). Good programming and debugging skills are also useful for the position. 

Note: We can only take candidates with a Master's degree for this opportunity (unless you are a strong undergraduate student at NYU). 

4. How are you as an advisor?

      I'm happy to put you in touch with students I have worked with -- they may provide a more unbiased opinion :) 

We publicize open positions on Handshake, please apply there.