News

Peptide identification is a core challenge in proteomics, the study of proteins, their structure and functions. Unlike genomics, which examines an organism’s genetic information, proteomics is far more complex. The proteome — the complete set of proteins produced or modified by a cell or system — varies not only across different cell types but also over time.

DeepSearch, a novel deep learning–based end-to-end database search method developed by PhD student Yonghan Yu and University Professor Ming Li brings new capabilities to protein identification.

Vasisht Duddu is one of 24 recipients internationally and one of two from Canada to receive a 2024 IBM PhD Fellowship. Established in 1951, these competitive graduate fellowships recognize and support outstanding PhD students around the world.

A team of leading cryptography, security, and privacy researchers at the Cheriton School of Computer Science has been awarded $1.6 million through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s Innovation Fund and the Ontario Research Fund.

The project, UPSCOPE: Understanding Privacy, Security, and Cryptography in Online and Physical Environments, aims to develop the algorithms, techniques, tools, and systems to protect our security and privacy in an increasingly interconnected online and physical world.

Interop Labs, the initial developer of the Axelar Web3 interoperability network, announced today a US$1,000,000 donation to grow the Computer Research Endowment at the University of Waterloo.

This generous contribution will support the creation of an AI and blockchain research laboratory at the Cheriton School of Computer Science, the largest and top-ranked academic computer science research centre in Canada. The laboratory will be named the GENESIS Lab, standing for Generative AI for Secure, Interconnected Systems.

Researchers at the Cheriton School of Computer Science have elucidated a key piece in the puzzle to detect early invasive skin melanoma. Using computational models of the skin to simulate the complex biophysical changes during early stages of tumour progression, the research holds the potential to improve non-invasive diagnostic methods, particularly in resource-limited regions.

Researchers at the Cheriton School of Computer Science have developed a small modification to the Linux kernel that could reduce energy consumption in data centres by as much as 30 per cent. The update has the potential to cut the environmental impact of data centres significantly, as computing accounts for as much as 5 per cent of the world’s daily energy use.

Kate Larson, Professor at the Cheriton School of Computer Science, has been named a 2025 Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence.

Imagine controlling apps with your feet while you walk. This concept is the focus of new research which explores using gait gestures — intentional variations in how you walk — as controls for augmented reality devices.

Chris Trevisan, a fourth-year computer science student, is one of eight recipients — and the only recipient from a Canadian university — to receive the 2025 Computing Research Association Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award. The association’s top recognition honours exceptional undergraduate students from universities across North America who demonstrate outstanding research potential in the field of computing.

Freda Shi joined the Cheriton School of Computer Science as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in July 2024. In September 2024 she was named a CIFAR AI Chair and a faculty member at the Vector Institute.

What follows is a lightly edited transcript of a conversation with Professor Shi, where she shares insights into her research, advice for aspiring computer scientists, and her enthusiasm for joining the Cheriton School of Computer Science.