Querying the user properly for high-performance brain-machine interfaces: Recursive estimation, control, and feedback information-theoretic perspectives

Cyrus Omar (he/him)
Associate Professor
Computer Science and Engineering
University of Michigan

On sabbatical, 2026–27 🆕
Visiting Fellow
Energy and Environment Group
University of Cambridge

4624 BBB

comar@umich.edu

@neurocy.bsky.social

Education

Carnegie Mellon University
PhD, Computer Science

UIUC
BS, Computer Science
BS, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Teaching

User Interfaces for Programming Languages (EECS 598-015)
F19

Advanced Programming Languages (CSE 590)
W26

Programming Languages (EECS 490)
W20, F20, W21, F21, W22, F22, W23, F23, W24, F24, F25

Discrete Mathematics (EECS 203)
W25

Advising

PhD Students

Research Staff

Matthew A. Hammer

Masters and Undergraduates

There are 10+ masters and undergraduate researchers in FP Lab — see the FP Lab webpage!

Former Advisees

David Moon (PhD, 2025; Postdoc, 2025-26; now at Jane Street)
Michael D. Adams (Postdoc, 2019-21)

FP Lab alum also include 200+ undergraduate and MS students, 15 of whom went on to PhD programs!

Service

2026

PLDI PC · PROPL Chair · VL/HCC PC · HATRA PC · LMPL PC · PLMW @ SPLASH Speaker · SPLASH SRC Judge · CSE Course Review Committee

2025

POPL PC · VL/HCC PC · GPCE PC · ML Family Workshop PC · HATRA PC · LIVE PC · CSE Curriculum Innovation Committee

2024

OOPSLA PC · VL/HCC PC · Onward! PC · LIVE PC · SPLASH-E PC · HATRA Publicity Chair · CSE DEI Committee

2023

PLDI PC · ECOOP PC · VL/HCC PC · MWPLS Co-chair · TyDe SC Chair · ECOOP Area Chair (Brave New Ideas and Pearls) · HATRA PC · IFL PC · SPLASH-E PC · SPLASH SRC · PLMW @ ICFP Panelist · CSE DEI Committee · CSE Hosting Committee

For older service roles, refer to my CV.

Awards and Honors

Henry Russel Award (2026)
1938E Award (2025)
NSF CAREER Award (2023)
DOE CSGF (2008-2012)
NSF GRFP (2008-2013)
Illinois Bronze Tablet (2008)

I lead the Future of Programming Lab (FP Lab), part of the vibrant MPLSE research community.

I am on sabbatical at the University of Cambridge for 2026–27, as a Visiting Fellow in the Energy and Environment Group in the Department of Computer Science and Technology and an Associate Scholar at Pembroke College.