Cheng Li

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My research focuses on developing advanced numerical models and computational tools to enhance our understanding and prediction capabilities for both terrestrial and extraterrestrial climate systems. By leveraging the power of data science, I aim to unravel the complexities of atmospheric dynamics and climate processes on Earth, as well as on other planets such as Mars, Venus, and Jupiter.

My approach involves the integration of large-scale datasets, including satellite observations and ground-based measurements, with statistical methods and sophisticated machine learning algorithms including vision-based large models. This enables me to extract meaningful insights and improve the accuracy of climate models, which are crucial for weather forecasting, climate change projections, and planetary exploration.

Alauddin Ahmed

Alauddin Ahmed

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My core research expertise involves developing and employing a wide array of computational methods to discover, design, and characterize materials and systems that address critical challenges in energy and the environment. These methods span from stochastic techniques to molecular dynamics, density functional theory, quantum chemistry, and data science. Beyond contributing fundamental design principles for high-performing materials, my research has led to the discovery of record-breaking materials for hydrogen storage, natural gas storage, and thermal energy storage, alongside creating open-access databases, machine learning models, and Python APIs.

In data science, I have uniquely contributed to feature engineering, compressed sensing, classical machine learning algorithms, symbolic regression, and interpretable ML. My approach to feature engineering involves crafting or identifying a concise set of meaningful features for developing interpretable machine learning models, diverging from traditional data reduction techniques that often disregard the underlying physics. Moreover, I have enabled the use of compressed sensing-based algorithms for developing symbolic regressions for large datasets, utilizing statistical sampling and high-throughput computing. I’ve also integrated symbolic regression and constrained optimization methods for the inverse design of materials/systems to meet specific performance metrics, and I continue to merge machine learning with fundamental physical laws to demystify material stability and instability under industrial conditions.

Looking forward, my ongoing and future projects include employing machine learning for causal inference in healthcare to understand and predict outcomes and integrating AI to conduct comprehensive environmental and social impact analyses of materials/systems via life cycle analysis. Furthermore, I am exploring quantum computing and machine learning to drive innovation and transform vehicle energy systems and manufacturing processes.

Alexander Rodríguez

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Alex’s research interests include machine learning, time series, multi-agent systems, uncertainty quantification, and scientific modeling. His recent focus is on developing trustworthy AI systems that can offer insightful guidance for critical decisions, especially in applications involving complex spatiotemporal dynamics. His work is primarily motivated by real-world problems in public health, environmental health and community resilience.

Irina Gaynanova

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Dr. Gaynanova’s research focuses on the development of statistical methods for analysis of modern high-dimensional biomedical data. Her methodological interests are in data integration, machine learning and high-dimensional statistics, motivated by challenges arising in analyses of multi-omics data (e.g., RNASeq, metabolomics, micribiome) and data from wearable devices (continuous glucose monitors, ambulatory blood pressure monitors, activity trackers).Dr. Gaynanova’s research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, and recognized with a David P. Byar Young Investigator Award and an NSF CAREER Award. She currently serves as an Associate Editor for Journal of the American Statistical Association, Biometrika and Data Science in Science.

Cristian Minoccheri

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Dr. Minoccheri’s research interests focus on using mathematical tools to enhance existing machine learning methods and develop novel ones. A central topic is the use of tensor methods, multilinear algebra, and invariant theory to leverage higher order structural properties in data mining, classification, and deep learning. Other research interests include interpretable machine learning and transparent models. The main applications are in the computational medicine domain, such as phenotyping, medical image segmentation, drug design, patients’ prognosis.

Qiong Yang

Qiong Yang

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My research program at the University of Michigan (UM) integrates the fields of biophysics, quantitative systems biology, and bottom-up synthetic biology to understand complex stochastic cellular and developmental processes in early embryos.
We have developed innovative computational and experimental techniques in microfluidics and imaging to allow high-throughput quantitative manipulation and single-cell lineage tracking of cellular spatiotemporal dynamical processes in various powerful in vitro and in vivo systems we established in my lab. These systems range from cell-free extracts, synthetic cells reconstituted in microemulsion droplets, presomitic mesoderm (PSM) and progenitor zone (PZ) cells dissociated from the zebrafish tail buds, their re-aggregated 2D and 3D cell-cell communications, ex vivo live tissue explants, and live embryos.
Our current research questions center around the understanding of the design-function relation of robust biological timing, growth, and patterning, how individual molecules and cells communicate to generate collective patterns, and how biochemical, biophysical, and biomechanical signals work together to shape morphogenesis during early embryo development.

John Prensner

John Prensner

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My research group uses molecular techniques and computational methods to dissect the biology of pediatric cancers. We are invested in fundamental genomic discovery of non-canonical open reading frames that are dysregulated in cancer. We use functional genomics techniques to facilitate biological analysis. We employ data science methodologies to model and predict the molecular biology of cancers. Our particular focus is on RNA translation and its regulation. We also focus on therapeutic interventions that may represent novel treatment strategies for cancer.

What are some of your most interesting projects?

I am fascinated by the ways in which cancer cells pattern RNA translation. We are currently performing large-scale -omic analyses to identify patterns in RNA translational control across pediatric brain cancers.

How did you end up where you are today?

I came to science late in life. I studied English Literature as an undergraduate at Tufts University before deciding to study biochemistry as a senior in college. This led me to join a cancer biology lab after college, which motivated me to go to medical school. I enrolled in the University of Michigan Medical School in 2006 but quickly became interested in the biology of cancer. I then joined the Medical Scientist Training Program and graduated with an MD/PhD dual degree in 2014. I pursued Pediatrics clinical training at Boston Children’s Hospital and pediatric hematology/oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. I then completed post-doctoral research at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard prior to joining the faculty of the University of Michigan.

What is the most significant scientific contribution you would like to make?

My goal is to cure childhood brain cancers. That is what motivates me every day!

Chuan Zhou

Chuan Zhou

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With a passion for developing decision support systems that integrate cutting edge techniques from artificial intelligence, quantitative image analysis, computer vision, and multimodal biomedical data fusion. Research interests have been focusing on characterizing diseases abnormalities and predicting their likelihood of being significant, with the goal to enable early diagnosis and risk stratification, as well as aiding treatment decision making and monitoring.

Bing Ye

Bing Ye

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The focus of our research is to address (1) how neuronal development contributes to the assembly and function of the nervous system, and (2) how defects in this process lead to brain disorders. We take a multidisciplinary approach that include genetics, cell biology, developmental biology, biochemistry, advanced imaging (for neuronal structures and activity), electrophysiology, computation (including machine learning and computer vision) and behavioral studies.

We are currently studying the neural basis for decision accuracy. We established imaging and computational methods for analyzing neural activities in the entire central nervous system (CNS) of the Drosophila larva. Moreover, we are exploring the possibility of applying the biological neural algorithms to robotics for testing these algorithms and for improving robot performance.

A major goal of neuroscience is to understand the neural basis for behavior, which requires accurate and efficient quantifications of behavior. To this end, we recently developed a software tool—named LabGym—for automatic identification and quantification of user-defined behavior through artificial intelligence. This tool is not restricted to a specific species or a set of behaviors. The updated version (LabGym2) can analyze social behavior and behavior in dynamic backgrounds. We are further developing LabGym and other computational tools for behavioral analyses in wild animals and in medicine.

The behavior that this chipmunk performed was identified and quantified by LabGym, an AI-based software tool that the Ye lab developed for quantifying user-defined behaviors.

The behavior that this chipmunk performed was identified and quantified by LabGym, an AI-based software tool that the Ye lab developed for quantifying user-defined behaviors.

What are some of your most interesting projects?

1) Develop AI-based software tools for analyzing the behavior of wild animals and human.
2) Use biology-inspired robotics to test biological neural algorithms.

How did you end up where you are today?

Since my teenage years, I have been curious about how brains (human’s and animals’) work, enjoyed playing with electronics, and learning about computational sciences. My curiosity and opportunities led me to become a neuroscientist. When I had my own research team and the resources to explore my other interests, I started to build simple electronic devices for my neuroscience research and to collaborate with computational scientists who are experts in machine learning and computer vision. My lab now combines these approaches in our neuroscience research.

What makes you excited about your data science and AI research?

I am very excited about the interactions between neuroscience and data science/AI research. This is a new area and has great potential of changing the society.

Liyue Shen

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My research interest is in Biomedical AI, which lies in the interdisciplinary areas of machine learning, computer vision, signal and image processing, medical image analysis, biomedical imaging, and data science. I am particularly interested in developing efficient and reliable AI/ML-driven computational methods for biomedical imaging and informatics to tackle real-world biomedicine and healthcare problems, including but not limited to, personalized cancer treatment, and precision medicine.

In the field of AI/ML, we focus on developing reliable, generalizable, data-efficient machine learning and deep learning algorithms by exploiting prior knowledge from the physical world, such as: Prior-integrated learning for data-efficient ML Uncertainty awareness for trustworthy ML. In the field of Biomedicine, we focus on developing efficient computational methods for biomedical imaging and biomedical data analysis to advance precision medicine and personalized treatment, such as: Multi-modal data analysis for decision making Clinical trial translation for real-world deployment.

In the field of AI/ML, we focus on developing reliable, generalizable, data-efficient machine learning and deep learning algorithms by exploiting prior knowledge from the physical world, such as: Prior-integrated learning for data-efficient ML Uncertainty awareness for trustworthy ML. In the field of Biomedicine, we focus on developing efficient computational methods for biomedical imaging and biomedical data analysis to advance precision medicine and personalized treatment, such as: Multi-modal data analysis for decision making Clinical trial translation for real-world deployment.

What are some of your most interesting projects?

Our goal is to develop efficient and reliable AI/ML-driven computational methods for biomedical imaging and informatics to tackle real-world biomedicine and healthcare problems. We hope the technology advancement in AI and ML can help us to better understand human health in different levels. Specifically, we develop Biomedical AI in different parts, including:
– AI in Biomedical Imaging: develop novel machine learning algorithms to advance biomedical imaging techniques for obtaining computational images with improved quality. Specifically, relevant topics include but not limited to: Implicit neural representation learning; Diffusion model / Score-based generative model; Physics-aware / Geometry-informed deep learning.
– AI in Biomedical Image Processing and Bioinformatics: develop robust and efficient machine learning algorithms to extract useful information from multimodal biomedical data for assisting decision making and precision medicine. Specifically, relevant topics include but not limited to: Multimodal representation learning; Robust learning with missing data / noisy labeling; Data-efficient learning such as self- / un- / semi-supervised learning with limited data / labels.

How did you end up where you are today?

I am an assistant professor in the ECE Division of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department of the College of Engineering, University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. Before this, I received my Ph.D. degree from the Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University. I obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Electronic Engineering from Tsinghua University in 2016. I is the recipient of Stanford Bio-X Bowes Graduate Student Fellowship (2019-2022), and was selected as the Rising Star in EECS by MIT and the Rising Star in Data Science by The University of Chicago in 2021.