The Information Systems Laboratory (ISL) is an interdisciplinary research group in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. Formed in the early 1960s to study the mathematical aspects of EE systems, ISL has grown in size and international reputation. It now includes 21 faculty members, 15 researchers, 4 administrative staff members, and approximately 110 PhD students involved in a diverse set of research projects, many of which are joint with other labs in EE and with other departments and schools, including Computer Science, Statistics, Management Science and Engineering, Aeronautics & Astronautics, the Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering (ICME) Applied Mathematics , Biological Sciences, Psychology, the School of Medicine, and the Graduate School of Business. In 2007, ISL became part of the Computer Forum.
Research at ISL focuses on the development and application of mathematical models, techniques and algorithms for information processing, communication, and storage, broadly construed. Over the years, ISL has played a leadership role in the development of the foundations of statistical signal processing, systems and control, image processing, information theory, and their applications in wired and wireless communications, medical imaging, image and video communication, cryptography, computer networks, and integrated circuit design and manufacturing, among other areas.
The research is sponsored by several US government agencies, including NSF, NIH, DARPA, and DoD; by industry; by university centers such as the Center for Integrated Systems, the Stanford Center of Image Systems Engineering, and MediaX; and by generous donations from its alumni, affiliated faculty, researchers and companies.
In addition to being internationally recognized for its excellence,
research in ISL has also had a significant impact on industry, with many
ISL alumni playing key roles in the founding and management of
successful high technology companies.