Scientia Professor Gernot Heiser
- BSc'82 physics (Freiburg)
- MSc'84 physics (Brock)
- PhD'91 computer engineering (ETH Zurich)
I have been an academic at UNSW since completing my PhD in 1991. I am a full professor since 2002. Since 2009 I hold the John Lions Chair of Operating systems, and since 2011 the title of Scientia Professor.
Since its creation in 2003 I was a research program leader at NICTA, where I created what is now the Trustworthy Systems group, spanning NICTA and UNSW. NICTA got absorbed into CSIRO in 2017, and since 2021 the group is wholly back at UNSW.
I have co-founded Open Kernel Labs in 2006 for commercialising my microkernel research outcomes. This has led to the L4-embedded microkernel being deployed on billions of mobile devices, including the secure enclave of all recent iOS devices, where it protects security-critical operations. OK Labs was sold to General Dynamics in 2012. Since 2009 my work has focussed on the seL4 microkernel and trustworthy systems built on it. This has led to further commercial deployment, including defence systems and mass-produced electric cars.
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
I have major research projects funded by:
- DARPA
- UK's National Cyber Security Centre
- German Cyberagentur
- US Air Force Research Labs
- Foresight Institute (US-based non-profit)
- Fellow, Engineers Australia 2022
- Member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina 2022
- ACM Software System Award 2022
- Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW 2022
- ACM SIGOPS Hall of Fame Award (2019) for the paper "seL4: Formal Verification of an OS Kernel" published at SOSP 2009.
- Fellow of the IEEE 2016
- South East Asia Regional Computer Confederation (SEARC) 2016 ICT Researcher of the Year
- Australian Computer Society Digital Disruptor Award 2015 ICT Researcher of the Year
- Fellow of the ACM 2014
- Engineers Australia Entrepreneur of the Year 2014
- Vice-Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence 2012
- Winner (with L4.verified team) NICTA's 2010 A. Richard Newton Excellence in Research Impact Award
- Warren Centre Innovation Hero Award, 2010
- New South Wales Scientist of the Year 2009, Category Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science
- Winner NICTA's 2008 A. Richard Newton Excellence in Research Impact Award
- 2007 AIIA iAward, Category Applications and Infrastructure Tools
All my research outcomes are open source, and mostly built around the seL4 Microkernels. I am collaborating with various government, industry as well as the wider open-source community on deploying seL4 in real-world systems.
My Teaching
I teach Advanced Operating Systems.