As technology scales, more components are being integrated on a chip making systems difficult to model and verify especially at mixed-signal boundaries. Component designs have also grown more complex as more non-idealities become significant rendering traditional design flows, using simplified equations of the transistors, largely broken. 

This group is part of a larger Rethinking Analog Design effort, which is an industry supported research initiative.  The focus of our group is on "co-development of design tools and methodologies that will help shorten the design cycle while improving portability, documentation and the potential for re-use."