Students

Students

How to join, expectations, templates, and resources for capstones, projects, and theses.

Students

This page collects practical information for students working with me (capstones, projects, and theses), including how to join, expectations, and useful resources.

Prospective PhD students

I’m happy to discuss PhD topics aligned with my research areas (HPC, computer architecture, quantum & hybrid ML, and AI for healthcare). A strong application is concrete, reproducible, and grounded in a clear evaluation plan.

  • Send: CV, transcript, and a one-page research sketch (problem → method → evaluation).
  • Include: links to code or writing samples (GitHub / report / preprint).
  • Expect: emphasis on baselines, ablations, and reproducibility from day one.

How to join my group

  • Capstone / project: send a short email with your interests, transcript, and CV. Mention 1–2 capstone topics you’d like to pursue.
  • MSc thesis: propose a concrete problem statement (1 page) and include a brief plan for evaluation (datasets/benchmarks + metrics).
  • Research assistant / internship: include relevant code samples (GitHub) and a short summary of what you built.

What I look for

  • Strong fundamentals and the ability to learn quickly (systems + ML basics).
  • Reproducible experimentation: clear baselines, controlled comparisons, and honest reporting.
  • Clear writing and communication (short weekly updates and a structured final report).

Expectations & working style

  • Weekly check-ins (15–30 minutes) with a short written update.
  • Reproducible code: version control, clean README, pinned dependencies, and scripts to rerun experiments.
  • Deliverables: a final report + public/private repository + slides or demo.

Capstones and course page

For the official capstone course information and enrollment details, see:

Thesis templates & resources

  • Report structure: problem statement → related work → method → experiments → discussion → limitations → conclusion.
  • Evaluation checklist: define baselines, metrics, datasets, compute budget, and ablations early.
  • Reproducibility: keep a lab notebook (even a simple markdown log) with decisions and results.

PhD students — Ongoing

2025
Ana FernandesUnlocking Sparse Processing with System-on-Chip Stream-based Acceleration
Supervisors G. Falcao (FCTUC/IT), Nuno Roma (INESC-ID/IST), N. Neves (INESC-ID)
2023
Sofia MonteiroClassifying functional impairments in Foot Clinic patients using plantar pressure distributions
Supervisors J. Arrais (FCTUC/CISUC), G. Falcao (FCTUC/IT)
2023
Hamid MoghadaspourHighly-Performant Underwater SLAM-Based 3D Reconstruction Architectures
Supervisors G. Falcao (FCTUC/IT), N. Neves (INESC-ID/IST)
2021
Claudio GomesQuantum Computing for Sustainability
Supervisors J. Paulo Fernandes (FEUP), G. Falcao (FCTUC), Soummya Kar (CMU), Sridhar Tayur (CMU)
Dual degree PhD Programme in ECE under the context of the Portugal-CMU Programme

PhD students — Completed

2025
Oscar FerrazTowards Processing Near-Memory in Non-Binary Low Density Parity Check Decoders
Supervisors G. Falcao (FCTUC/IT), V. Silva (FCTUC/IT)
2025
Joao VieiraEnabling General-Purpose Processing-In-Memory Through a Locality-Aware Architecture and Compiler
Supervisors P. Tomás (IST/INESC-ID), N. Roma (IST/INESC-ID), G. Falcao (FCTUC/IT)
2020
Joao GanteThe Interplay Between Positioning and Beamforming in Millimeter Wave Communications
Supervisors L. Sousa (IST/INESC-ID), G. Falcao (FCTUC/IT)
2016
Joao AndradeDesign Space Exploration of LDPC Codes on Multicore Architectures
Supervisors V. Silva (FCTUC/IT), G. Falcao (FCTUC/IT)
2015
Rui MeloReal-Time Urban 3D Modeling by Combining Stereo from Symmetry with General Purpose Programming in the Graphics Processing Unit
Supervisors J. Barreto (FCTUC/ISR), G. Falcao (FCTUC/IT)

Lab culture (yes, this matters)

Lab reminder poster Lab reminder poster

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