Research Activities

Mac Mini Cluster

Research Projects

I am currently on sabbatical at the Technical University Darmstadt, Germany, with the data management group of Prof Carsten Binnig. My research interests focus on (distributed) data management on modern hardware, integration of machine learning into databases, and human-centred data management. In particular, I am currently working on the following interesting topics:

  1. Distributed Data and Query Processing over RDMA Networks
  2. Efficient Machine Learning inside Databases
  3. Dynamic Physical Database Design using Deep Learning
  4. Approximate Query Processing
  5. Data Replication based on Snapshot Isolation

For more information on current research projects or to learn which student projects I am offering next semester (in 2019), please have a look at my extra project page.

Another body of research is about application of database and data mining technologies for Data Science challenges:

  1. Data Management for High-Throughput DNA Sequencing
  2. Clustering and Tracking of High-Dimensional Flow-Cytometry Data

Previous Experiences

During the recent years, my research activities have been centered around two main areas: OLAP with a cluster of databases and database middleware services. My efforts led into the following concrete research projects:

  • Corona: Query Processing in Sensor Networks
  • dbBLAST: BLAST in a Database
  • PowerDB: A Database of Databases
  • Harmony: An Distributed Object Query Service
  • PASTEL: Persistent Application Systems, Technologies, Environments and Languages

Some of the research topics I have investigated in the past are physical design for OLAP in a cluster, query routing techniques, cluster replication management, and distributed query processing over heterogeneous repositories. Besides, an important aspect of these research efforts has always been prototype development (details see here) in order to be able to realistically evaluate the performance characteristics.