Dr Adriana Sejfia, Lecturer in Software Engineering at the School of Informatics, The University of Edinburgh, has been awarded a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship to advance her work on robust and explainable software vulnerability detection. Announced as part of the Academy’s 2025 cohort of Research Fellows, the award recognises outstanding early-career researchers across the UK. Dr Sejfia’s five-year fellowship will support her research to enhance the accuracy and transparency of automated software vulnerability detection, addressing a major challenge in building secure and trustworthy digital systems. Supporting Secure Software Through Engineering Excellence Software vulnerabilities are a growing concern, with far-reaching consequences for industries and individuals alike. Dr Sejfia’s project aims to develop high-quality, explainable techniques for detecting and preventing vulnerabilities, using program analysis and machine learning. Her approach leverages underexplored vulnerability data to create specialised detection models and generate actionable insights for developers. The fellowship, funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, provides up to £625,000 over five years. It enables researchers to focus on fundamental engineering research, build a research team, and benefit from mentoring and networking opportunities within the Academy’s community. About Dr Adriana Sejfia Dr Sejfia is a Lecturer in the Institute for Computing Systems Architecture (ICSA) at the School of Informatics. She earned her PhD in Computer Science from the University of Southern California, where she was supported by a Google PhD Fellowship and advised by Professor Nenad Medvidović. Her research interests lie in software engineering, particularly in helping developers address security challenges by learning from past issues and their fixes. Engineering a Safer Digital Future Professor Jonathan Cooper FREng FRSE, Chair of the Academy’s Research Fellowships steering group, praised the 2025 cohort for their ambitious research addressing societal challenges: This cohort will work on ambitious programmes of research that address many of today’s societal challenges, including those around healthcare and an ageing population as well as the environment, sustainability and net-zero. Examples of their exciting work involve the development of neurotechnologies, renewables and materials repurposing as well as soft robotics and quantum technologies. All of the projects demonstrate how engineering innovation has the potential to improve our lives and promote economic growth. Professor Jonathan Cooper FREng FRSE Chair of the Academy’s Research Fellowships steering group Dr Sejfia’s work demonstrates how engineering innovation can improve lives and promote economic growth by making software systems more secure and resilient. Related links Academy announces latest Research Fellowships Dr Adriana Sejfia's personal website Publication date 23 Sep, 2025
