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Professors Yuhao Zhu and Muthu Venkitasubramaniam Receive University Research Awards

June 5, 2019

 

Photo of Professor Yuhao Zhu Photo of Muthu Venkitasubramaniam

Yuhao Zhu, assistant professor of computer science, and Nick Vamivakas, associate professor of quantum optics and quantum physics, will investigate a completely different paradigm of deep learning by moving deep neural network (DNN) computations from the digital domain to the optical domain. This leverages the fact that optical systems naturally perform the mathematical operation of convolution – the single most costly computational step in DNNs.

Muthu Venkitasubramaniam, associate professor of computer science, will work with Laurie Steiner and Kate Ackerman, associate professors of pediatrics, andAlex Paciorkowski, assistant professor of neurology, on novel approaches to genetic diagnoses and secure genomic data analyses in critically ill infants. This study’s goals are twofold. 1. Determine whether integration of epigenetic and transcriptomic data improves the diagnostic ability of Whole Genome Sequencing in critically ill infants. 2. Use secure cryptography to develop novel mechanisms for investigators to share biologically relevant sequencing and phenotype data while protecting patient privacy.