Maggie Makar

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My research focuses on developing reliable and efficient machine learning methods for causal inference as well as predictive models that leverage causal reasoning. My work typically involves applications to healthcare.

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.

Joyce Chai

Joyce Chai

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My research interests are in the area of natural language processing, situated dialogue agents, and artificial intelligence. I’m particularly interested in language processing that is sensorimotor-grounded, pragmatically-rich, and cognitively-motivated. My current work explores the intersection of language, vision, and robotics to facilitate situated communication with embodied agents and applies different types of data (e.g., capturing human behaviors in communication, perception, and, action) to advance core intelligence of AI.

Jaerock Kwon

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My research interests are in the areas of brain-inspired machine intelligence and its applications such as mobile robots and autonomous vehicles. To achieve true machine intelligence, I have taken two different approaches: bottom-up data-driven and top-down theory-driven approach. For the bottom-up data-driven approach, I have investigated the neuronal structure of the brain to understand its function. The development of a high-throughput and high-resolution 3D tissue scanner was a keystone of this approach. This tissue scanner has a 3D virtual microscope that allows us to investigate the neuronal structure of a whole mammalian brain in a high resolution. The top-down theory-driven approach is to study what true machine intelligence is and how it can be implemented. True intelligence cannot be investigated without embracing the theory-driven approach such as self-awareness, embodiment, consciousness, and computational modeling. I have studied the internal dynamics of a neural system to investigate the self-awareness of a machine and model neural signal delay compensation. These two meet in the middle where machine intelligence is implemented for mechanical systems such as mobile robots and autonomous vehicles. I have a strong desire to bridge the bottom-up and top-down approaches that lead me to conduct research focusing on mobile robotics and autonomous vehicles to combine the data-driven and theory-driven approaches.

9.9.2020 MIDAS Faculty Research Pitch Video.

High-Throughput and High-Resolution Tissue Scanner – NSF Funded

Satinder Singh Baveja

Satinder Singh Baveja

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My main research interest is in the old-fashioned goal of Artificial Intelligence (AI), that of building autonomous agents that can learn to be broadly competent in complex, dynamic, and uncertain environments. The field of reinforcement learning (RL) has focused on this goal and accordingly my deepest contributions are in RL.
A very recent effort combines Deep Learning and Reinforcement Learning.

From time to time, I take seriously the challenge of building agents that can interact with other agents and even humans in both artificial and natural environments. This has led to research in:

Over the past few years, I have begun to focus on Healthcare as an application area.