Amir Shaikhha

Amir Shaikhha

Associate Professor

Amir Shaikhha

Amir Shaikhha is an Associate Professor (Reader) in the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh. His research focuses on the design and implementation of data-analytics systems by using techniques from the databases, programming languages, compilers, and machine learning communities. He was a Departmental Lecturer at the University of Oxford (2019-2020) before starting as an Assistant Professor (Lecturer) at the University of Edinburgh (2020-2024). He earned his Ph.D. from EPFL in 2018, for which he was awarded a Google Ph.D. Fellowship in structured data analysis, as well as a Ph.D. thesis distinction award. He has won the Best Paper Award at GPCE 2017, the Most Reproducible Paper Award at SIGMOD 2017, and the Most Influential Paper Award at GPCE 2024. He (co-)chaired the program committees of GPCE, DBPL, Scala, Sparse, and DRAGSTERS.

Recent News

  • January 2025. Torsten Grust and I are organizing DBPL 2025. Consider submitting a paper.
  • January 2025. I have been invited as a keynote speaker in ARRAY@PLDI’25.
  • Novemeber 2024. Our paper on program synthesis for quantum simulation accepted to CGO 2025.
  • September 2024. We have received the Most Influential Paper Award in GPCE 2024.
  • August 2024. I have been promoted to Associate Professor (Reader).
  • August 2024. My work on restaging DSLs has been accepted to GPCE 2024.
  • July 2024. We have open sourced StructTensor.
  • June 2024. We have open sourced VecHT.
  • May 2024. Hesam Shahrokhi has successfully completed his PhD. He is joining Huawei Research.
  • May 2024. I was selected for an Outstanding Reviewer Award in ICDE 2024.
  • April 2024. PyTond for compiling Python Data Science code to database queries accepted to ICDE 2024.
  • March 2024. Jingwen and Callum were awarded the 1st place in CGO student research competition.
  • December 2023. Youning awarded the Computer Science MSc Dissertation Prize.
  • November 2023. Our paper on optimizing nested recursive queries accepted to SIGMOD 2024.
  • October 2023. We will present our work on probabilistic programming in LAFI 2024.
  • August 2023. Our paper on automatic differentiation for sparse tensors accepted to appear at CGO 2024.
  • July 2023. Our paper on structured tensor algebra accepted to OOPSLA 2023.
  • June 2023. The demonstration for OpenDBML accepted to appear at VLDB 2023.
  • May 2023. I was selected for a Best Reviewer Award in SIGMOD 2023.
  • April 2023. The demonstration for SDQL.py accepted to appear at SIGMOD 2023.
  • March 2023. I will serve as the PC Chair of GPCE 2023; consider submitting a paper.
  • February 2023. Our work on combining prefetching with vectorization for hash tables accepted to appear at ECOOP 2023.
  • January 2023. I will be co-chairing DRAGSTERS’23. Consider submitting a paper.
  • December 2022. Two papers accepted in CC 2023: BayesTensor and SDQL.py.
  • November 2022. Our work on using machine learning for data structure selection accepted to appear at CGO 2023.
  • October 2022. Our work on Deep Loop Fusion accepted to appear at GPCE 2022.
  • August 2022. STOREL for tensor processing on flexible storage accepted to SIGMOD 2023.

Publications

You can find my articles on my Google Scholar profile.

2025
Synthesis of Quantum Simulators by Compilation
CGO
M. Tarabkhah, M. Delavar, M. Doosti, A. Shaikhha
2024
Optimizing Nested Recursive Queries
SIGMOD
A. Shaikhha, D. Suciu, M. Schleich, H. Ngo
Structured Tensor Algebra for Efficient Discrete Probabilistic Inference
LAFI
A. Shaikhha
PyTond: Efficient Python Data Science on the Shoulders of Databases
ICDE
H. Shahrokhi, A. Kaboli, M. Ghorbani, A. Shaikhha
Restaging Domain-Specific Languages: A Flexible Design Pattern for Rapid Development of Optimizing Compilers
GPCE
A. Shaikhha
A Tensor Algebra Compiler for Sparse Differentiation
CGO
A. Shaikhha, M. Huot, S. Hashemian
2023
Demonstration of OpenDBML, a Framework for Democratizing In-Database Machine Learning (Demo)
VLDB
M. Ghorbani, A. Shaikhha
Efficient Query Processing in Python Using Compilation (Demo)
SIGMOD
H. Shahrokhi, C. Groeger, Y. Yang, A. Shaikhha
Optimizing Tensor Programs on Flexible Storage
SIGMOD
M. Schleich, A. Shaikhha, D. Suciu
Compiling Structured Tensor Algebra
OOPSLA
M. Ghorbani, M. Huot, S. Hashemian, A. Shaikhha
An Efficient Vectorized Hash Table for Batch Computations
ECOOP
H. Shahrokhi, A. Shaikhha
Fine-Tuning Data Structures for Query Processing
CGO
A. Shaikhha, M. Kelepeshis, M. Ghorbani
Building a Compiled Query Engine in Python
CC
H. Shahrokhi, A. Shaikhha
Compiling Discrete Probabilistic Programs for Vectorized Exact Inference
CC
J. Pan, A. Shaikhha
2022
Functional Collection Programming with Semi-ring Dictionaries
OOPSLA
A. Shaikhha, M. Huot, J. Smith, D. Olteanu
Deep Fusion for Efficient Nested Recursive Computations
GPCE
A. Shaikhha
Hinted Dictionaries: Efficient Functional Ordered Sets and Maps
ECOOP
A. Shaikhha, M. Ghorbani, H. Shahrokhi
Denotationally Correct, Purely Functional, Efficient Reverse-mode Automatic Differentiation
ArXiV
A. Shaikhha, M. Huot
Efficient and Sound Differentiable Programming in a Functional Array-Processing Language
ArXiV
A. Shaikhha, M. Huot, S. Ghasemirad, A. Fitzgibbon, S. Peyton Jones, D. Vytiniotis
2021
An Intermediate Representation for Hybrid Database and Machine Learning Workloads (Demo)
VLDB
A. Shaikhha, M. Schleich, D. Olteanu
Scalable Querying of Nested Data
VLDB
J. Smith, M. Benedikt, M. Nikolic, A. Shaikhha
2020
Synthesis of Incremental Linear Algebra Programs
TODS
A. Shaikhha, M. El Seidy, D. Espino, S. Mihaila, C. Koch
Multi-Stage Programming in the Large with Staged Classes
GPCE
L. Parreaux, A. Shaikhha
Multi-Layer Optimizations for End-to-End Data Analytics
CGO
A. Shaikhha, M. Schleich, A. Ghita, D. Olteanu
BayesCard: Revitilizing Bayesian Frameworks for Cardinality Estimation (Technical Report)
ArXiV
Z. Wu, A. Shaikhha, Rong Zhu, Kai Zeng, Yuxing Han, Jingren Zhou
2019
Efficient Differentiable Programming in a Functional Array-Processing Language
ICFP
A. Shaikhha, A. Fitzgibbon, S. Peyton-Jones, D. Vytiniotis
Compiler Generation for Performance-Oriented Embedded DSLs (Short Paper)
GPCE
A. Shaikhha, V. Jovanovic, C. Koch
Polymorphic Extractors for Semantic and Portable Pattern Matching (Short Paper)
GPCE
A. Shaikhha
Finally, a Polymorphic Linear Algebra Language
ECOOP
A. Shaikhha, L. Parreaux
2018
Building Efficient Query Engines in a High-Level Language
TODS
A. Shaikhha, Y. Klonatos, C. Koch
Unifying Analytic and Statically-Typed Quasiquotes
POPL
L. Parreaux, A. Voizard, A. Shaikhha, C. Koch
Push vs. Pull-Based Loop Fusion in Query Engines
JFP
A. Shaikhha, M. Dashti, C. Koch
Compiling Database Application Programs
ArXiV
M. Dashti, S. John, T. Coppey, A. Shaikhha, V. Jovanovic, C. Koch
2017
Squid: type-safe, hygienic, and reusable quasiquotes
Scala
L. Parreaux, A. Shaikhha, C. Koch
Repairing Transaction Conflicts in Optimistic Multi-Version Concurrency Control (Most Reproducible Paper Award)
SIGMOD
M. Dashti, S. John, A. Shaikhha, C. Koch
Quoted Staged Rewriting: a Practical Approach to Library-Defined Optimizations (Best Paper Award)
GPCE
L. Parreaux, A. Shaikhha, and C. Koch
Destination-passing style for efficient memory management
FHPC
A. Shaikhha, A. Fitzgibbon, S. Peyton-Jones, D. Vytiniotis
2016
How to Architect a Query Compiler
SIGMOD
A. Shaikhha, Y. Klonatos, L. Parreaux, L. Brown, M. Dashti, C. Koch
2014
DBToaster: Higher-order Delta Processing for Dynamic, Frequently Fresh Views
VLDBJ
C. Koch, Y. Ahmad, O. Kennedy, M. Nikolic, A. Noetzli, D. Lupei, A. Shaikhha
Yin-Yang: Concealing the Deep Embedding of DSLs
GPCE
V. Jovanovic, A. Shaikhha, S. Stucki, V. Nikolaev, C. Koch, M. Odersky

Awards

  • Most Influential Paper Award, GPCE 2024.
  • Outstanding Reviewer Award, ICDE 2024.
  • [Student Award] 1st place in both undergraduate and graduate categories in student research competition, CGO 2024.
  • [Student Award] Computer Science MSc Dissertation Prize, Edinburgh, 2023.
  • Best Reviewer Award, SIGMOD 2023.
  • Nominated for Best Supervisor of the Year, University of Edinburgh, 2022.
  • Ph.D. Thesis Distinction Award, EPFL, 2018.
  • Service Award, IC EPFL, 2018.
  • Best Paper Award, GPCE 2017.
  • Most Reproducible Paper Award, SIGMOD 2017.
  • Google Ph.D. Fellowship, 2017.
  • Teaching Assistant Award, IC EPFL, 2016.

Service

  • Chairing: Sparse’25 (Co-Chair), DBPL’25 (Co-Chair), GPCE’25 (General Co-Chair), Sparse’24 (Co-Chair), GPCE’23 (PC Chair), DRAGSTERS’23 (Co-Chair), Scala’22 (PC Chair), DBPL’21 (Co-Chair).
  • Organization: OOPSLA’26 (PC), SIGMOD’26 (PC), VLDB’26 (PC), SIGMOD’25 (PC), VLDB’25 (PC), EDBT’25 (PC), LAFI’25 (PC), VLDB’25 (Publicity Co-Chair), CGO’24 (Finance Chair), ICDE’24 (PC), APLAS’24 (PC), GPCE’24 (PC), VLDB’23 (PC), SIGMOD’23 (PC), GPCE’22 (PC), TFP’22 (PC), DBAI’21 (PC), BICOD’21 (PC), ASPLOS’20 (ERC), DBPL’19 (PC).
  • Reviewer: TACO 2024, VLDBJ 2024, TOMS 2024, TKDE 2023, TODS 2023, TODS 2021, VLDBJ 2020, TODS 2018.
  • PhD Students’ Representative: IC EPFL, 2017-2018.
  • Member of EPIC PhD Student Association: IC EPFL, 2017.

Recent Collaborators

Ziawasch Abedjan (TU Berlin), Anastasia Ailamaki (EPFL), Matthias Boehm (TU Berlin), Andrés Goens (University of Amsterdam), Tobias Grosser (University of Cambridge), Mathieu Huot (MIT), Thomas Koehler (CNRS), Hung Ngo (RelationalAI), Martin Odersky (EPFL), Dan Olteanu (UZH), Babak Salimi (UCSD), Michel Steuwer (TU Berlin), Dan Suciu (University of Washington).

Positions

I do not have any open positions right now.