Vinuri Bandara receives Google PhD Fellowship for her research in Android security and privacy

Her work aims to understand and mitigate hidden risks in the Android ecosystem, and this fellowship will allow her to expand her analysis infrastructure and create a real impact, making technology more trustworthy

24 October 2025

Vinuri Bandara, a PhD student at IMDEA Networks, is passionate about technology. Her commitment to making it more transparent and trustworthy guides her career and forms the core of her research. She is determined to make the Android ecosystem more secure in the long term. And she is already taking her first steps toward this goal: she has just received a Google PhD Fellowship, one of the most prestigious recognitions for young researchers in the field of computer science.

Describe your PhD research project.

My PhD research looks at how Android device manufacturers and other supply-chain partners modify the operating system in ways that can unintentionally weaken security and privacy.

While Android’s openness encourages innovation, it also leads to deep fragmentation and hidden changes that affect billions of users.

I’m building large-scale tools to detect and understand these undocumented modifications so we can see how they impact user trust and developer expectations.

In the long run, my goal is to make the Android ecosystem more transparent, more secure, and Android brands more accountable.

What do you believe is the most innovative or outstanding aspect of your research?

What sets my work apart is that it doesn’t stop at finding what makes an Android device unique at the code level, but I also try to understand the intent behind those changes.

By combining large-scale differential analysis with large language model–based semantic reasoning, I can explain why vendors make specific modifications, whether for compliance, telemetry, or performance. This moves the work from raw technical findings to meaningful explanations that can guide better platform governance and security policy.

The Google PhD Fellowship is a highly prestigious recognition. What does it mean to you?

Being selected for the Google PhD Fellowship in Privacy, Safety, and Security means a lot to me. It’s recognition that the work I’ve been doing matters. It’s encouraging to know that people who shape technology every day see value in this research.

For me, it’s both validation and motivation: a reminder to keep pushing forward, and a chance to turn my research into something that can make a real impact beyond academia.

How will financial support and the Google Research Mentor help you advance your research and career?

The fellowship support will help me scale my analysis infrastructure and cover important research activities like conference travel and future research stays, both essential for deepening collaborations and expanding the scope of my work.

Under the continued guidance of Prof. Narseo Vallina-Rodríguez (my supervisor at IMDEA Networks), I aim to produce meaningful research outcomes with the added perspective of a Google Research Mentor.

Together, their insights will help ensure that my work not only advances academic understanding but also strengthens the Android ecosystem and improves user security in practice.

What originally motivated you to pursue a PhD in your field?

I’ve always been fascinated by the invisible layers that hold ecosystems together and how much trust we place in them without realizing it, whether it’s in developers, devices, or tech companies.

During my earlier studies, I saw how many of these systems were closed off and how little visibility users had into what was really happening. That curiosity and the desire to bring more transparency and fairness into technology is what drew me to research in security and privacy. A PhD felt like the right way to dig deeper and contribute something lasting to that goal.

Where do you see yourself in 5–10 years and how will the Fellowship influence that trajectory?

In five to ten years, I hope to be in a place where my work has genuinely improved how people experience privacy and security in their everyday lives. I want what I build and study to truly matter and eventually to make technology a little more trustworthy and transparent.

I also see myself as a professor at some point, because I’d love to help students find the same excitement and purpose in research that I’ve found.

The Google PhD Fellowship gives me the space and confidence to grow toward that future. Having this support and mentorship means I can focus on work that creates real impact, and hopefully, one day, help others do the same.

What advice would you give to other graduate students aiming for fellowships like this?

Pick a problem you truly care about. Something that keeps you curious even on hard days, not one that’s simply convenient to measure.

Focus on doing the work well before worrying about recognition, the impact will follow naturally.

Share what you build, be open to feedback and surround yourself with people who push you to think bigger. Opportunities like this fellowship come when your work tells a clear story of purpose and genuine curiosity.