Prospective Students

We welcome students interested in research at the intersection of mathematics, life sciences, medicine, and artificial intelligence. We especially encourage undergraduates with a strong mathematical foundation to join the group for early research training. This training is geared toward students considering a PhD and a future in interdisciplinary research.

What I Look For

I value curiosity, intellectual honesty, persistence, clear communication, and initiative. If you often ask “why,” enjoy understanding the principles behind a method, and are drawn to complex problems in biology, medicine, or AI, our research may be a good fit for you.

Research Training

Undergraduate projects focus on two areas: statistical methods for single-cell and multi-omics data to help establish virtual cells, and statistical learning for multi-modal biomedical data to improve disease risk prediction, data integration, and model reliability.

Training starts with statistical foundations, reading research papers, and data analysis. With guidance, you will gradually learn to:

  • Turn scientific questions into statistical problems.
  • Build models and design new methods.
  • Develop theoretical analyses and implement algorithms.
  • Evaluate methods through simulations and real data.

A mathematical foundation and some programming or data analysis experience are useful starting points. We will choose readings and projects suited to your background and help you develop specialized knowledge as the work progresses. See the learning guide for suggested topics.

When to Contact Me

Get in touch early if you would like to explore research with us. Our first conversation can focus on your interests, experience, and questions about the group.

For a PhD application, contacting me around six months ahead is helpful for planning research together. If your timeline is shorter, we can discuss what is feasible.

Before formally applying for a PhD in the group, students are expected to have at least three months of research assistant experience with us. You can contact me first, and we can then arrange a project and timeline together. This gives you time to explore our research and get to know the group through collaboration.

What to Include in Your Email

Please send a short email with:

  • A brief introduction to your background and current program.
  • Your CV.
  • What interests you in the group’s research or a question you would like to explore.

You may also include a course project, research experience, transcript, or expected application year. It is fine if your research interests are still taking shape.