About Us
The NetDB@Penn research group is led by Professor Boon Thau Loo. Our group applies data-centric techniques and formal methods to the design, analysis, and implementation of distributed systems. We are interested in the development of new programming tools and analysis techniques that improve the process of designing, implementing, verifying, and securing large-scale distributed systems. We take an inter-disciplinary approach, combining ideas from databases, networking, programming languages, and formal methods. We work closely with the distributed systems and database groups at Penn.
Given the inter-disciplinary nature of our work, we have published across a wide range of conferences, including databases (SIGMOD, VLDB), networking (SIGCOMM, NSDI), security (NDSS), systems (SOSP, USENIX ATC, Eurosys), software engineering (FSE), and formal methods (TACAS). We have received multiple best papers in the past (e.g. EDBT 2020 and NSDI 2024), and have done technology transfer, resulting in startups Gencore/Netsil (acquired by Nutanix) and Termaxia (acquired by Frontiir). Students/postdocs graduating from NetDB@Penn have gone on to academia (University of Toronto, Stony Brook University, Georgetown University, Temple University, Illinois Institute of Technology), become leaders in the industry, or startup founders.