I'm Gabriel, a Master’s student at Virginia Tech. Advised by Dr. Muhammad Ali Gulzar, former Amazon Scholar and Google Ph.D. Fellow.
My research focuses on analyzing HTTP headers to understand how websites track users across the web. I collect and examine network traffic data, identifying heuristics that indicate tracking—such as value consistency, third-party associations, length patterns, and storage in cookies or local storage. I also leverage LLMs to classify headers likely used for tracking, aiming to enhance privacy analysis tools and contribute to a more transparent and secure web.
Experience
Virginia Tech • Web Security & Header Investigation • May 2025 – Present
Conducting research on HTTP header behaviors, heuristics, and machine learning models to identify tracking techniques and strengthen web privacy defenses.
OEBSA • Software Engineer • Mar 2024 – Jul 2024
Engineered backend and web systems in PHP/Laravel to automate billing, reporting, and equipment reservations for 3,000+ users, reducing processing times by up to 95%.
AXS Bolivia • Engineering Intern • Jul 2022 – Sep 2022
Developed Visual Studio applications to retrieve KPIs from telecom equipment via TCP/IP sockets in Telnet and C#, reducing data retrieval time by 60%.
Education
Virginia Tech
Master in Computer Engineering | August 2024 – Present
GPA: 3.78/4.0
University of Nottingham
BEng in Electronic and Computer Engineering | September 2019 – July 2023
GPA: 4.0/4.0
Honors & Awards
Awards
2019 Kaplan Achievement Award Scholarship, University of Nottingham
Projects
Form Prediction in Sports Using Machine Learning
Built a K-NN model in Python to predict team form, outperforming betting odds. (Oct 2024 – Dec 2024)
Wavefront Shaping System
Designed an optical system using MATLAB, DMDs, and an astrophotography camera to focus light through scattering media with image processing and machine learning. (Sep 2022 – Apr 2023)
Doppler Radar Design
Collaborated to design and build a Doppler radar using data acquisition, digital signal processing, and integrated circuits. (September 2021 – March 2022)