Karen Leung

I intend to take on at least 1 new PhD student in the upcoming 2026 PhD application cycle working. Ideal candidates should have experience in controls, machine learning, generative AI, and/or learning from demonstrations. Please read my lab website to learn more.

I am an Assistant Professor at the University of Washington Aeronautics and Astronautics department and am the Juris Vagners and Linda Christianson Endowed Faculty Fellow in Aeronautics & Astronautics. I direct the Control and Trustworthy Robotics Lab (CTRL). I also am a part-time faculty scientist at NVIDIA Research working in the Autonomous Vehicle Research Group.

My research focuses on building trustworthy autonomous systems that can operate seamlessly with, alongside, and around humans. My work lies in the intersection of dynamics and control, robotics, and machine learning. You can learn more by checking out my lab website.

Prior to joining UW, I was a research scientist at the Autonomous Vehicle Research Group at NVIDIA, where I currently holds a partial appointment. I received a Ph.D. and M.S. degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University, and combined B.S/B.E. degreen in Mathematics and Aeronautical (Space) Engineering from the University of Sydney.

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