Christoph Bühler

I am a PhD student with the Programming Group at the University of St. Gallen, working under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Guido Salvaneschi. My research focuses on software engineering and security in the age of AI, with a particular emphasis on AI agent security.

My current work investigates how AI agents can be made safer and more secure when interacting with software systems and real-world resources. I am particularly interested in mechanisms that provide agents with well-defined security boundaries, limit their capabilities and potential impact, and protect agents and their environments against threats such as prompt injection and other attacks. More broadly, my research explores how established and novel software engineering and security techniques can be applied to build trustworthy agentic systems.

I joined the Programming Group in July 2024, after nine wonderful years at smartive AG in St. Gallen, Switzerland. My passion for exploring new technologies and solving complex problems has always driven my learning and research.

Before starting my PhD in April 2026, I completed my Master's degree in Computer Science at the University of St. Gallen in spring 2026. During my Master's studies, my research focused on testing and verification of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) programs. Earlier, my Master's thesis at OST – Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences (formerly HSR) focused on identity security and authentication in heterogeneous systems.

When I am not exploring new technologies or working on my research, I enjoy spending time with my wife and our kid. I also enjoy playing video games, sailing, snowboarding, and Lindy Hop dancing.