He received a B.A. degree and the Certificate of Advance Study in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. He then spent a couple of years as a postdoc at UCSD and Microsoft Research. His research in theoretical computer science focuses on data stream algorithms, linear sketching, and communication complexity. He received the NSF CAREER Award in 2010. Shubhangi SarafIncidence geometry and applications to theoretical computer science Abstract The classical theorem of Sylvester-Gallai states the following: given a finite set of points in the Euclidean plane, not all on the same line, there exists a line passing through exactly two of the points. This result has a rich and interesting history in mathematics. Surprisingly in recent years variants of the theorem have been influential in various diverse areas of theoretical computer science.