Education
- Since 01.2024
- PhD, Applied Cryptography & Privacy-Preserving Authentication
University of St. Gallen, Switzerland.
PhD thesis topic: Privacy-Preserving Primitives for Location-Based Services - 10.2022 to 12.2023
- MSc, Theoretical Computer Science and Control Theory
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), Greece (GPA: 9.55/10, “Excellent”).
Master’s thesis: Cryptography based on Learning with Errors - 09.2020 to 01.2021
- Semester exchange (Erasmus), UFR de Mathématique et d’Informatique
University of Strasbourg, France. - 10.2017 to 03.2022
- BSc, Mathematics
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), Greece (GPA: 8.50/10, “Excellent”).
Bachelor’s thesis: Cryptography in the Post-Quantum Era
Publications
- 2026
- Privacy-preserving Proximity Testing from Geometric Fuzzy Matching
Florias Papadopoulos, Ioannis Katis, and Katerina Mitrokotsa.
In Proceedings of the ACM Asia Conference on Computer and Communications Security (ASIA CCS ’26), pp. 472 to 488, Bangalore, India. doi:10.1145/3779208.3785374
Work Experience
- Since 01.2024
- Research Assistant, University of St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Research interests: provable security, post-quantum cryptography, and privacy-preserving protocols, with a focus on privacy-preserving proximity tracking and collision avoidance. - 10.2021 to 01.2022
- Intern, Hellenic National Meteorological Service, Thessaloniki, Greece.
- Analyzed data from worldwide weather stations and satellites.
- Co-wrote and co-presented a research paper on the Vardaris Wind.
- Used Excel, Surfer, and PowerPoint for data processing and visualization.
Fellowships & Awards
- 02.2025 to 01.2029
- CYD Doctoral Fellowship, Cyber-Defense Campus, armasuisse Science & Technology.
Project: Privacy-Preserving Primitives for Proximity Tracking and Collision Avoidance
Teaching
Teaching Assistantship
- Spring 2024 to 2026
- Cybersecurity, BSc. Computer Science, University of St. Gallen.
- Spring 2024 to 2026
- Technologies: Data Security and Privacy, Contextual Studies (MSc), University of St. Gallen.
- Fall 2024, 2025
- (Advanced) Cybersecurity, MSc. Computer Science, University of St. Gallen.
- Fall 2024
- Security Protocols & Applications, BSc. Computer Science, University of St. Gallen.
- Spring 2024
- Secure and Private Computing, MSc. Computer Science, University of St. Gallen.
Thesis and Project Supervision
- Since Fall 2025
- Thesis co-supervision, BSc. and MSc. Computer Science, University of St. Gallen.
Co-supervision of two MSc. theses and one BSc. thesis on cryptography and cybersecurity topics. - Spring 2025, 2026
- Secure and Private Computing, MSc. Computer Science, University of St. Gallen.
Supervised two implementation projects yearly based on cryptography and cybersecurity research.
Teaching Workshops
- 09. & 11.2024
- Exploring Sustainable Teaching, University of St. Gallen.
- 06.2024
- Supervising and Assessing Student Writing, University of St. Gallen.
- 06.2024
- Crash Course Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, University of St. Gallen.
Academic Service
- 06.2024 to 06.2026
- Tenure and Promotion Committee, University of St. Gallen.
Evaluated internal promotion applications (Assistant to Associate, Associate to Full Professor). - Since 2025
- “What is?”: PhD Seminar Series, School of Computer Science, University of St. Gallen.
Co-organizer of a monthly seminar series for PhD students. - Since 2025
- Subreviewer
IEEE TDSC 2025 (×2), Indocrypt 2025, GameSec 2025, CANS 2025, ACM AsiaCCS 2025 (×2), APKC 2026, ACNS 2026 (×2), Cluster Computing 2026
Talks & Academic Activities
Invited and Contributed Talks
- 06.2025
- Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracking for Drones, Cyber AlpRetreat 2025, Davos.
- 2022
- Cryptography in the Post-Quantum Era
- Graduate Seminar of Mathematics Students, AUTh (Thessaloniki, 10.2022)
- 12th International Week Dedicated to Maths, Helexpo (Thessaloniki, 05.2022)
- Seminar on Theoretical CS and Discrete Mathematics (online, 03.2022)
Schools and Workshops
- 06.2025
- CASA Summer School 2026, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
- 06.2025
- Cyber AlpRetreat 2025, Cyber-Defense Campus, Davos, Switzerland.
- 09.2024, 04.2025
- Swiss Crypto Day, University of St. Gallen (#1), Università della Svizzera italiana (#2).
- 06.2024
- Introduction to Quantum-Safe Cryptography, SLMath + IBM Research, Switzerland.
- 05.2024
- ReCAP 2024: Cryptography and Privacy for the People, Tufts University (hybrid).
- 05.2023
- MEGA-ACE NTUA Summer School on Blockchains, Spetses, Greece.
- 02.2023
- ISCwsISC 2023 on Secure Computations: ZKP, MPC & FHE, online.
- 06.2022
- 2nd Congress of Greek Mathematicians, NTUA, Athens, Greece.
Other
- 05.2026
- Panel speaker, HSG School of Computer Science Conference.
Shared insights from my PhD experience. - 2021
- Volunteer translator, mathematics problems (English to Greek), AUTh, Greece.
Among the 25% of volunteers who undertook additional work.
Miscellaneous
- Languages
- Greek (native), English (fluent), French (advanced)
- Interests
- Travelling, hiking, bouldering, spelunking