Abdul Samad Zaheer Khan

MS in Computer Engineering, NYU
ABOUT
Master's student at NYU with a keen interest in exploring emerging fields in computer science, machine learning and quantum information theory.
EDUCATION
New York University
Master of Science in Computer Engineering | New York, NY | Aug 2023 - May 2025
  • Cumulative GPA: 3.75/4.00
  • Relevant Coursework: Mathematics, Physics, Quantum Computing, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Finance, Computer System Architecture, Network Security.
    • The National Institute of Engineering
    Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science | Mysuru, India | Aug 2017 - June 2021
  • Cumulative GPA: 9.00/10.00(3.78/4.00).
  • Relevant Coursework: Advanced Mathematics and Statistics, Advanced Algorithms, Parallel Programming, Formal Language Automata Theory, Computer Networks, Object Oriented Modeling.
    • WORK EXPERIENCE
    Founding Engineer
    Starboard | Remote (NY, NY) | Oct 2025 - Present
  • Joined the founding engineering team at an AI-driven logistics startup, to design and deploy backend systems supporting container quote extraction, optimal best price finding, invoice reconciliation, and operational analytics.
  • Contribute to early-stage system architecture, API design, and CI/CD pipelines, building scalable, containerized services with FastAPI, PostgreSQL, and Docker deployed on cloud infrastructure.
  • Collaborate cross-functionally on product roadmaps and technical milestones, improving data flow automation and ensuring compliance with secure data-handling standards.
    • Research Intern
    New York University | New York, NY | Jan 2025 - May 2025
  • Research intern under the supervision of Prof. Javad Shabani at the Center of Quantum Information Physics at NYU.
  • Built a hybrid classical-quantum neural network to measure the risk of cancer over the next six years based on a single low-dose CT scan(3D-Image).
  • Focused on developing a model with faster inference and acceptable predictive accuracy, rather than outperforming existing models like Sybil.
    • Software Development Intern(Computer Science Intern)
    Tiny Archives | New York, NY | Sept 2024 - Dec 2024
  • Developed and maintained backend systems using Python, Django, and PostgreSQL to archive files for organizations and individuals.
  • Improved product scalability by optimizing system architecture and enhancing performance to support increased user demand and data processing.
    • Software Development Engineer - 1
    Finflux | Bangalore, India | Nov 2022 - July 2023
  • Developed a standalone product, ELMS, that calculates the total exposure of a customer across multiple financial services within a single financial institution.
  • Collaborated with backend engineers and engaged in client meetings to accurately understand and implement the requirements.
  • Addressed Level 3 bugs, focusing on resolving production issues in the company's primary product, the Loan Management System (LMS).
    • PROJECTS
    OpenSigmoid - Anonymous Mailing Service
    Personal Project | May 2025 - Present | opensigmoid.com
  • Built a decentralized messaging platform integrating Ethereum and Solana wallets with end-to-end encryption (AES-256-GCM), supporting real-time WebSocket communication, token-gated communities, and in-chat crypto payments using Go, React, and PostgreSQL.
  • Implemented secure Web3 authentication system with wallet-based account recovery, JWT token management, and multi-chain wallet linking, handling both traditional and blockchain-based user authentication flows.
  • Architected real-time messaging infrastructure with WebSocket connection management, automatic reconnection logic, 5-minute heartbeat mechanism, and message delivery confirmation supporting 1-to-1, group, and channel communications.
    • chromeControl - Productivity Tool
    Kiro Hackathon Project | August 2025 - September 2025 | GitHub Repo
  • Built an MCP-compliant Chrome sidebar extension that stays active across tabs, delivering real-time page analysis and contextual AI assistance with custom task automation.
  • Architected a modular TypeScript/React codebase (background worker, content scripts, sidebar UI, shared services) enabling easy extension and maintainability.
  • Implemented privacy-first safeguards—local processing, sensitive-data filtering, and domain-based security tiers—balancing AI capability with user trust.
  • Delivered advanced tooling including prompt debugging, smart context building, and an intelligent text-extraction pipeline currently under active enhancement.
  • Documented developer onboarding (quick start, API docs, troubleshooting) and established a clear contribution workflow aligned with TypeScript best practices.
    • Quantum-Classical Neural Network for Lung Cancer Risk Prediction
    New York University | Jan 2025 - May 2025
  • Developed a hybrid quantum-classical neural network to predict future lung cancer risk from a single low-dose CT scan.
  • Simulating a hybrid classical-quantum neural network to measure the risk of cancer over the next six years based on a single low-dose CT scan.
  • Verifying the feasibility by over-fitting the model on a single image due to the exponential cost of running operations on entangled qubits on a quantum chip.
  • Utilizing Qiskit to modify qubits to store model weights, which are later used for inference while verifying feasibility.
    • See more projects
    Squaris - Square Packing Puzzle Game
    Reddit Devvit | Sept 2025 | GitHub Repo | Live Game
  • Built a Phaser.js and TypeScript spatial puzzle where players pack squares into a container without gaps using drag-and-drop mechanics.
  • Implemented a reverse-construction algorithm that generates daily solvable puzzles with difficulty tiers and adaptive container sizing.
  • Added productivity features—undo, shuffle, hints, timers, move tracking, and sound settings—to support varied play styles.
  • Delivered 29 automated tests covering puzzle generation, game logic, win conditions, and time tracking for reliability.
  • Designed for future Reddit Devvit integration with community leaderboards, interactive posts, and achievement systems.
    • QubitQuery RAG Assistant
    Personal Project | June 2025
  • Created a self-contained RAG(Retrieval Augmented Generation) assistant to query through the lecture notes so the professors can have more productive office hours.
  • The implementation uses LangChain to split the lecture notes into chunks using LangChain library which are converted into embeddings using the OpenAI API and stored in the FAISS vector database.
  • Similarity check was performed to retrieve the most relevant chunks and fed into an LLM to answer the question in a terminal based interface.
    • Enterprise Limit Management System[ELMS]
    Finflux | Jan 2023 - July 2023
  • Application designed to calculate the exposure of individuals and groups, flagging the lending system when exposure constraints are exceeded.
  • The product aggregated personal data and transaction details for over 35 million customers.
  • The application mitigates default and fraud risks while also being used internally to manage exposure limits and credit calculations across multiple products.
  • Skills Applied: Java 17, Spring Boot, Copilot, Git, MySQL, Liquibase, Docker, Jenkins, ArgoCD, SFTP, and other relevant technologies.
    • Stock Direction Prediction Using Sentiment Analysis
    New York University | Feb 2024 - May 2024
  • Fine-tuned language models such as FinBERT, BERT, Gemma-7B, and Llama-11B to extract sentiment.
  • The sentiment and other features were subsequently input into a Random Forest algorithm, which predicted the direction of the stock. The model was specifically trained to forecast the direction of GameStop (GME).
  • Sentiment analysis was performed on Reddit data, while the real-world stock price dataset was sourced from Yahoo Finance. The prediction accuracy was 0.59.
    • SKILLS
  • Technical Skills: Mathematics, Data Structures and Algorithms, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Quantum Computing, FPGA, Problem Solving, Infrastructure Design, Microprocessor Architecture.
  • Non-AI Technologies: Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD Pipelines with Jenkins and ArgoCD, Git, MySQL, REST API, FastAPI, Liquibase, AWS(EC2, S3), Azure, GCP, SFTP, Gradle, Tomcat, WebSockets.
  • AI Technologies: Retrieval Augmented Generation, LangChain, Model Context Protocol, Vector Database(FAISS, Chroma).
  • Languages: Java(Spring Boot), Python, Qiskit, Golang(Go), C/C++, R, React, TypeScript.
    • HACKATHONS
  • HackNYU: Built an alternative to Acorn with much more control over the risk apetite and investment types at the disposal of the user.
  • Kiro Hackathon: Built chromeControl which is linked as a project in the projects section.
  • Reddit - Devvit: Created the game Squaris which is hosted on Squaris
  • YQuantum: Attempted the BlueQubit problem of Peaked Circuits.
  • IMC Prosperity 3: Attempted the IMC trading challenge for financial modelling to generate maximum profit based on the requirements. Participated in both Algorithm Trading and Manual Trading.
  • Hackfinity: Built an AI Chatbot which uses RAG/LangChain to help students understand topics which are not easily available on the internet.
    • EXTRA CURRICULARS
  • Representing NYU in Contract Bridge by attending multiple intercollege tournaments, scrimmages, and the North American Bridge Championships held in Philadelphia, 2025.
  • Representing NYU in Poker at the Intercollegiate Poker Association (IPA) annual tournament in 2025.
  • College Clubs: Bridge and Spades, Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers(SASE), IEEE, Soccer Intramurals(5v5, 9v9).