Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science | New York University
contact: ✉️ bellini [at] nyu [dot] edu

I am recruiting PhD students for my research lab for the upcoming ’25-’26 admissions cycle (deadline: Dec 12th).
Please read my Working Together page for more information.

I am an Assistant Professor in Computer Science & Engineering at New York University. I act as a core member of SIGCHI CARES to oversee cases in violation of ACM’s policies governing SIG activities (incl. sexual harassment, abuse, plagiarism, falsification). Previously, I had a wonderful time as a postdoctoral scholar with Associate Prof. Nicola Dell and Prof. Thomas Ristenpart at Cornell Tech (NYC) and helped to lead the Clinic to End Tech Abuse as the Director of Research. I also earned my Ph.D. in Computer Science across the pond at Newcastle University in the UK.

What drives me as a researcher is to make technology safer for every individual. I combine rigorous data-driven and engaged design research techniques from the fields of Computer Security and Privacy (S&P) and Human- Computer Interaction (HCI) to:

(1) Analyze abusive adversaries’ goals, skills, and attack strategies across in-person and online contexts;
(2) Develop and deploy digital tools that change abusive adversaries’ patterns of behavior in community-based interventions, alongside software applications for assessment, training, and monitoring;
(3) Design responsive sociotechnical interventions to help survivors of technology-based attacks to reclaim their privacy and security and improve their financial wellbeing; and,
(4) Build a community of practice dedicated to safer S&P research involving at-risk users in academia and industry.

To minimize harm to at-risk users, benefit academic theory, and drive real-world impact, my approach encompasses both proactive and reactive anti-abuse strategies. To proactively address technology abuse, I lead efforts to redesign consumer-facing technologies by detecting areas of misuse, and develop digital tools that intervene with abusers to prevent harmful behavior. I couple these efforts with direct, reactive security services for survivors subject to ongoing attacks, and consult with consumer-facing banking, legal, and security services to offer targeted solutions that mitigate harm.

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