Lucianna Kiffer

Education

• BS in Mathematics and Computer Science, Tulane University

Biography

Lucianna Kiffer is a PhD student in the Algorithms and Networks program at Northeastern University’s Khoury College of Computer Sciences, advised by Professors  Alan Mislove and Rajmohan Rajaraman. A native of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Lucianna earned her bachelor’s degree in both mathematics and computer science from Tulane University.

Lucianna’s research areas include Algorithms and Theory and Systems and Networks. She is a member of the Social Networks Group. Lucianna has an interest in peer-to-peer networks and is currently working on a project that utilizes blockchain technology.

About Me

• Field of Study: Algorithms and Networks
• PhD Advisors: Alan Mislove and Rajmohan Rajaraman

What are the specifics of your graduate education (thus far)?

Professor Rajaraman, Professor Mislove and I have begun a project exploring Ethereum; a blockchain-based decentralized virtual machine. At this point in the research we are generally looking into scalability concerns involving Ethereum's network, measurement based questions about the network, and generally what can be built on the Ethereum network and networks like it.

What are your research interests?

The goal of my thesis is to better model and reason about how blockchain protocols are being used and evolve, how they can scale, and to help build a foundation for the rigorous analysis needed in this new and fast evolving area.

https://luciannakiffer.com/thesis-proposal-lucianna-kiffer/

What’s one problem you’d like to solve with your research/work?

I would like to work on a solution to one of the scalability concerns of blockchain networks/technologies.

What aspect of what you do is most interesting?

One of the most interesting aspects of distributed networks for me is the amount of information of the overall network that can be propagated through minimal communication and/or in scenarios where no trust is assumed between parties in the network.

What are your research/career goals, going forward?

I am interested in pursuing research in academia.

Where did you spend your most defining years?

I was born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil and moved to the U.S. when I was 8. I have spent the subsequent years living around the country from Colorado to California, Arkansas, Louisiana, Maryland and now Massachusetts.

Recent Publications