About Me
Hi! Iām Zhuolin (zh pronounces like j). I am an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Arizona . I received my PhD in Computer Science from the University of Chicago, where I was co-advised by Prof. Ben Y. Zhao and Prof. Heather Zheng .
I study usable security, with a particular focus on the interaction between AI/ML and personal/wearable devices. I investigate how advances in AI/ML and personal/wearable systems are challenging traditional security assumptions, and I adapt these techniques to design attacks and defenses in a variety of security contexts.
I publish at top security, human-computer interaction, and mobile computing conferences. My research has been recognized with Best Paper Awards and featured in various media outlets such as MIT Technology Review and New Scientist. I was named a Rising Star in EECS in 2024.
š£ I am looking for students interested in Security and Usability research to join my recently established A4 Lab (actions against advanced adversaries) . If you are interested, please email me and mention Prospective PhD, Master or Undergraduate Student in the subject line and attach your CV.
News [more]
[July. 2024] I gave a talk at Purdue. Thank Chunyi for hosting me!
[June. 2024] I gave a talk at UW-Madison. Thank Yohan for hosting me!
[Apr. 2024] I gave a talk at Columbia CS Security Seminar. Thank Xia for hosting me!
[Mar. 2024] Our work on inception-style attack is covered in MIT Tech Review . A preprint of the work can be found here .
[Nov. 2023] Our work on VR keystroke inference is covered in New Scientist .
[Aug. 2023] I presented our paper in USENIX'23.
[Oct. 2022] I gave a talk at Stanford Security Lunch .
[May. 2021] Yuxin and I presented our paper in CHI'21.
Selected Publications
Preprint
Inception Attacks: Immersive Hijacking in Virtual Reality Systems
Zhuolin Yang , Cathy Yuanchen Li, Arman Bhalla, Ben Y. Zhao, Haitao Zheng
USENIX
Zhuolin Yang , Zain Sarwar, Iris Hwang, Ronik Bhaskar, Ben Y. Zhao, Haitao Zheng
USENIX Security Symposium, 2024.
USENIX
Zhuolin Yang , Yuxin Chen, Zain Sarwar, Hadleigh Schwartz, Ben Y. Zhao, Haitao Zheng
USENIX Security Symposium, 2023.
CHI
Yuxin Chen, Zhuolin Yang , Pedro Lopes, Ben Y. Zhao, Haitao Zheng
Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), 2021.
[show the full publication list]
SenSys
Zhengxiong Li, Baicheng Chen, Zhuolin Yang , Huining Li, Chenhan Xu, Xingyu Chen, Kun Wang, Wenyao Xu
Proceedings of ACM Conference on Embedded Networked Sensor Systems (SenSys) , 2019.
SenSys
Zhengxiong Li, Zhuolin Yang , Chen Song, Changzhi Li, Zhengyu Peng, Wenyao Xu
Proceedings of ACM Conference on Embedded Networked Sensor Systems (SenSys) , 2018.
PDF
Best Paper Runner-up Award
IOTJ
Zhuolin Yang , Chen Song, Feng Lin, Jeanne Langan, Wenyao Xu
IEEE Internet of Things Journal, 2018.
Zhengxiong Li, Fenglong Ma, Aditya Singh Rathore, Zhuolin Yang , Baicheng Chen, Lu Su, Wenyao Xu
IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy, 2020.
Zhengxiong Li, Aditya Singh Rathore, Baicheng Chen, Chen Song, Zhuolin Yang , Wenyao Xu
Proceedings of the 17th Annual International Conference on Mobile Systems, Applications, and Services (MobiSys), 2019.
Sutanuka Bhattacharjya, Matthew Stafford, Lora Anne Cavuoto, Zhuolin Yang , Chen Song, Heamchand Subryan, Wenyao Xu, Jeanne Langan
Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation, 2019.
Yingxiao Wu, Zhuolin Yang , Feng Lin, Wenyao Xu
IEEE Sensors Journal, 2018.
Sutanuka Bhattacharjya, Matthew Stafford, Chen Song, Zhuolin Yang , Wenyao Xu, Lora Cavuoto, Heamchand Subryan, Jeanne Langan
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2018.
Lora A. Cavuoto, Heamchand Subryan, Matthew Stafford, Zhuolin Yang , Sutanuka Bhattacharjya, Wenyao Xu, Jeanne Langan
Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 2018.
Zhuolin Yang , Chen Song, Feng Lin, Jeanne Langan, Wenyao Xu
IEEE/ACM International Conference on Connected Health: Applications, Systems and Engineering Technologies, 2017.
Talks and Videos
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Services
Program Committee
[MobiSys] ACM International Conference on Mobile Systems, Applications, and Services, 2026
[CCS] ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security, 2026
[PoPETS] Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies, Artifact, 2026
[CHI] ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Late-Breaking Work, 2025
Session Chair
[CCS] ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security, 2023
Peer Reviewer
[VRST] ACM Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technology, 2025
[DIS] ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference, 2025
[CHI] ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2024
[IMWUT] Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies, 2020