Dr. Issa Khalil obtained a PhD in Computer Engineering from Purdue University in 2007. He is currently a Principal Scientist in the Cyber Security Group at the Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI). Prior to joining QCRI, he served as an associate professor and department head of the Information Security Department at the College of Information Technology (CIT) at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU).

His research focuses on security data analytics, network security, AI/ML security and privacy, and private data sharing. His work has been recognized with prestigious grants, including $1.65 million QNRF-TUBITAK, a $2.7 million QNRF cluster grant, and $90 TDF grant. His research is published in top-tier security venues such as IEEE S&P, USNEX security, CCS, TOPS, TDSC, etc. and featured in multiple news outlets. He has several US patents, four of which have been licensed to a startup company called Before.ai. His research has been recognized with prestigious awards such as the "Tech Team Award'' from Hamad Bin Khalifa University, the HBKU Research Excellence Award, and the Outstanding Professor award for outstanding performance in research, teaching, and service from UAEU.