Prof. Dr.-Ing. Asif Ali Khan

Rechnerarchitektur (Khan)

Contact and Affiliations

About Asif Ali Khan

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Asif Ali Khan has been Professor of Computer Architecture at Paderborn University since October 2026. Before joining Paderborn, he was a postdoctoral researcher at TU Dresden, where he completed his PhD in 2022 with Distinction (summa cum laude). His doctoral research was recognised with the 3m5 Excellence Award of the Faculty.

His research explores how computer architecture and compiler design can work together to make better use of emerging memory technologies. He has developed compilation and simulation tools with novel scheduling and mapping solutions, and data- and instruction-placement strategies for nonvolatile memory technologies, specifically racetrack memory. He has proposed multiple novel near-memory and in-memory computing solutions and collaborated with researchers to accelerate real-world applications in machine learning and bioinformatics. Across these areas, his work includes developing software abstractions for computing systems that move beyond conventional von Neumann architectures.

The Computer Architecture group at Paderborn University, led by Prof. Khan, investigates how emerging architectures and compilers can be co-designed to address the demands of future applications. The group works with both conventional and emerging volatile and non-volatile memory technologies, with a focus on near-memory and in-memory computing. It develops modeling and simulation frameworks and cost models to understand the trade-offs of these systems. A central theme is cross-stack optimization, connecting choices in hardware, memory, and software to improve performance and efficiency. 

Curriculum Vitae

Since 01.10.2026: Professor (W2, Tenure-Track) Computer Architecture

Paderborn University, Germany

04/2022 - 30.09.2026: Research Assistant (Postdoc)

TU Dresden, Germany

01.05.2024 - 31.08.2024: Visiting Researcher

University of Notre Dame, IN, USA

02/2019 - 04/2022: Research Assistant

TU Dresden

11/2019 - 02/2020: Visiting Researcher

ETH Zurich, Switzerland

05/2026: From Flaws to Features: The Computational Potential of Resistive Memories Variability

Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Germany

11/2025: Memory-Centric Computing for Accelerating Generative AI Applications

Huawei Summit on Data Intelligence & Architecture Innovation, Warsaw, Poland

04/2025: From Potential to Practice: Near-Memory and In-Memory Computing Architectures

Institut für Technische Informatik, Heidelberg, Germany

01/2025: Programmability and Reliability Challenges in Memory-Centric Computing Systems

F4HD @ HiPEAC Conference 2025, Barcelona, Spain

11/2024: Opportunities and Challenges in Non-Von-Neumann Memory-Centric Architectures

Concordia University, Montreal, Canada

04/2024: Programmability of the Next-Generation Heterogeneous Computing Architectures

Embedded World Conference 2024, Nuremberg, Germany

Research

Research Interests

We are interested in the broader area of emerging computing architectures and their programmability and reliability aspects. Concretely, our topics of interest include: 

  • Near-Memory Computing and In-Memory Computing (also called processing in memory or memory-centric computing)
  • Programmability of these novel Architectures  
  • Modelling, Simulation and DSE Frameworks 

Teaching

Teaching Areas

Computer Architecture, Compilers

Winter Semester 2026/2027

Seminar 
Emerging topics in Computer Architecture 

Project Group
Simulation and Design Space Exploration of Computing-in-Memory Architectures


Current Courses

The researcher does not teach any courses in the current semester.

Scientific Engagement

Since 10/2026  |  Member of the Organising Committee (Finance Chair)

IEEE CCMCC Conference 2026


10/2026  |  Member of the Organising Committee (Publicity Chair)

IEEE/ACM Embedded Systems Week, 2026