people

SOFT is led by 6 professors, each heading a research team of postdoctoral and doctoral researchers. The teams are organised in three thematic clusters, described on the research page.

Professors

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang De Meuter

Leads PROG

programming language design and implementation, reactive programming, distributed programming

Lab Director

ORCID

Prof. Dr. Coen De Roover

Leads Code Analysis and Manipulation (CAMP)

program analysis, software quality, software security, automated testing, SE4AI & AI4SE

ORCID

Prof. Dr. Elisa Gonzalez Boix

Leads Distribution and Concurrency (DisCo)

programming languages and tools for distributed systems, debugging, replicated data types

ORCID

Prof. Dr. Antonio Paolillo

Leads SPELLS²

system software, performance evaluation, real-time and embedded systems, C-to-Rust migration

ORCID

Prof. Dr. Bas Ketsman

database theory, transaction processing, distributed query evaluation, coordination in distributed systems

ORCID

Prof. Dr. Jens Nicolay

applied software engineering, secure web and cloud applications, distributed ledger technology

ORCID

Emeriti

• Em. Prof. Dr. Theo D'Hondtprogramming language design and implementation, language interpreters and virtual machines
• Em. Prof. Dr. Viviane Jonckerssoftware engineering, component-based and aspect-oriented software development

Postdoctoral researchers

• Dr. Jim Bauwensconflict-free replicated data types (CRDTs), eventual consistency, collaborative editing
• Dr. Giacomo Benedettisoftware supply chain security, SBOMs, security of CI/CD workflows
• Dr. Kevin De Porrereplicated data types, mixed-consistency distributed programming
• Dr. Tom Lauwaertsdebugging embedded devices, multiverse debugging, WebAssembly virtual machines
• Dr. Heba Mohameddistributed join algorithms, query languages, expressiveness of Datalog
• Dr. Ruben OpdebeeckInfrastructure as Code, empirical studies of software supply chains, software ecosystems
• Dr. Gilberto RecupitoSE4AI, ML-specific code and data smells, technical debt
• Dr. Sampriti Roysublinear and streaming algorithms, distribution testing, database theory
• Dr. Mathijs Saeydistributed stream processing, meta-programming
• Dr. Angel Luis Scull Pupodynamic analysis and taint analysis for the web, WebAssembly instrumentation
• Dr. Sam Van den Vonderreactive programming, actor languages, secure replicated data

PhD students

• Esteban Aguililla KleinC-to-Rust transpilation
• Jolien Andriesprogramming languages, SE4AI
• Tim Baccaerttransaction scheduling, consistency in distributed systems
• Robbe De GreefC-to-Rust transpilation, secure robotics software
• Dina dos Santos Borregojoint PhD with NOVA University of Lisbon (EUTOPIA)CRDTs, application invariants without coordination
• Fernando Hechavarría Fajardodatabase theory
• Sander Huyghebaertjoint PhD with KU Leuvenformal verification of processor (instruction-set) security guarantees, capability machines
• Jef Jacobsconstraint-based languages for 3D modelling and fabrication
• Mohamed Lahmarjoint PhD with IMT Atlantique (MSCA SEED)SE4AI, software contracts
• Aäron MunstersWebAssembly dynamic analysis, portable debugging
• Melissa Joy NjengaSE4AI
• Bjarno Oeyenreactive programming, virtual machines for reactive languages, low-code
• Yunior Pacheco Correamining library and framework usage patterns
• Carlos Rojas Castillolanguage-agnostic debugging for microcontrollers
• Irina Samusjoint PhD with IMT Atlantiquesoftware contracts, sustainable computing, energy
• Yuwen Shenjoint PhD with KU Leuven and imecreal-time Linux for safety-critical robotics, human-robot collaboration
• Jonas Sysjoint PhD with Ghent Universityprogramming abstractions for heterogeneous hardware (GPUs)
• Avi Tomardatabase theory
• Noah Van Esstatic analysis, abstract interpretation, modular and incremental analysis
• Mats Van Molleperformance evaluation of system software, benchmarking
• Louise Van Verrecontracts for actors, concurrency bugs, logic-functional reactive programming
• Bram Vandenbogaerdecontract verification, static analysis of zero-knowledge proof programs, abstract interpretation
• Thomas Vandermottendistributed and concurrent programming
• Carlo VendittoPolicy as Code, security testing
• Cindy Wautersproperty-based testing, incremental static analysis, SE4AI

Technical and support staff

• Dr. Nivedita Yadavbusiness developer

Former members

SOFT originates from the 2008 merger of two labs of the VUB’s Department of Computer Science: the System and Software Engineering Lab (SSEL) and the Programming Technology Lab (PROG), both founded in 1987 by Prof. emeriti Viviane Jonckers and Theo D’Hondt, respectively. Originally focused on programming languages and software engineering, SOFT broadened its research to databases in 2019 and to system software in 2023.

Below are the 139 former members of SOFT and its predecessor labs. Together, the three labs have produced 87 PhD dissertations, listed on the dissertations page.