"I am attracted by the open discussion climate and look forward to forming a new team in cryptography," says Elena Pagnin, one of Chalmers's 15 new research talents.
For the fifth time, Chalmers has made a major investment in attracting sharp research talents from all corners of the world. The campaign was very successful; nearly 2,000 eligible people applied for the 15 positions as Assistant Professors.
"It is extremely gratifying to see the large interest in Chalmers internationally and that so many research talents want to come to Chalmers to build their future career," says Anders Palmqvist, Vice President of Research.
Security a significant challenge
One of the 15 is Elena Pagnin, Assistant Professor with a focus on cryptography. Her position is linked to the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Area of Advance, and director Erik Ström welcomes her warmly:
“Security, in a broad sense, is one of the major societal challenges of our time. With the recruitment of Elena, Chalmers' competence in cyber security, specifically in cryptography, is strengthened. I expect Elena to advance the research front in crypto as well as drive cross-disciplinary research on effective cryptographic solutions for security problems in e.g., transport, health and technology, production, and energy.”
Loving the science
Elena Pagnin will work at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), a familiar place since her time as a PhD student at Chalmers. After a few years as a postdoctoral researcher in Aarhus, Denmark, and Associate Senior Lecturer in Lund, she is looking forward to her new job:
"I love cryptography and provable security. My primary focus will be on the design of digital signature schemes with advanced properties such as homomorphic signatures, extendable ring signatures, and signatures with flexible verification. I will also work on efficient and privacy-preserving protocols for concrete use cases including location proximity testing, server-aided data sharing, and secure data deduplication."
A rising star
The Head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Richard Torkar, is thrilled that Elena accepted the offer to come back to Chalmers and create her own research group:
"Dr Pagnin complements our cybersecurity environment well, and given her credentials, we expect her to succeed greatly in the years to come. I am personally convinced that one day she will become one of our brightest stars. I look forward to following her career in the years to come."
Open climate and visibility
Elena says that she was drawn back by the vibrant and lively environment at Chalmers and that there is an open climate for discussions about interdisciplinary research:
"People are positive and I appreciate the honest advice I get from the network. In addition, Chalmers' visibility, not only in Sweden but also internationally, is a bonus. And now, I look forward to establishing a new team of cryptographers in Sweden. We can do that, mainly because of the good cooperation within Chalmers and with our close contacts in the industrial sector," concludes Elena Pagnin.
- Assistant Professor, Computing Science, Computer Science and Engineering