About

Mahdi Rahimi is currently in the final year of his PhD, which he began in June 2021 under the supervision of Prof. Claudia Diaz at KU Leuven, within the COSIC research group. His current research focuses on the practicality and security of anonymous communication systems, particularly mix networks (mixnets), as well as broader topics in privacy-preserving systems and applied cryptography.

Prior to his PhD, he received a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from K. N. Toosi University of Technology in 2018, with a specialization in telecommunication systems. He ranked second among 125 students in his class, which earned him admission to the Master’s program in Cryptography and Secure Communication at Sharif University of Technology. Mahdi completed his Master’s degree in 2020, graduating first in his class. His Master’s thesis focused on information-theoretic approaches to network security.

Education

• BSc in Electrical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, 2018
  (Specialization: Telecommunication Systems, ranked 2nd of 125)
• MSc in Cryptography and Secure Communication, Sharif University of Technology, 2020
  (Graduated 1st in class, thesis: information-theoretic approaches to network security)
• PhD in Computer Science, KU Leuven, 2021–present
  (Supervisor: Prof. Claudia Diaz, COSIC research group)

Research Interests

• Anonymous Communications (mix networks)
• Privacy-Preserving Systems
• Applied Cryptography

Current Affiliation

COSIC, KU Leuven

Contact

mahdi.rahimi@esat.kuleuven.be