Sahar Moradi Cherati, a PhD student in Electrical and Computer Engineering, was awarded the Best Student Paper prize at the annual IEEE Computer Society Symposium on VLSI (Very-Large-Scale Integration).

Her paper, titled “MSDF-Based Hardware Accelerators for Energy-Efficient Neural Networks in Edge Computing Applications”, was co-authored with her advisor, Professor Leonel Sousa. The research proposes a novel approach to designing Multiply-Accumulate (MAC) units using MSDF (Most Significant Digit First) arithmetic, aiming to improve the performance of neural networks on edge devices by reducing latency and optimizing energy consumption and area usage.

This Symposium is a leading forum for promoting multidisciplinary research and innovative approaches in the field of VLSI. The 2025 edition highlighted emerging trends and groundbreaking ideas across a broad range of topics — from VLSI circuits, systems, and design methodologies to their application in new areas and technologies. This year, the event was held in collaboration with the #SMART4Women initiative, through the organization of the session “Empowering Women in Hardware & Chip Design: Challenges & Success Stories.”

News and photo: INESC-ID