Emma Alexander

Emma Alexander is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Northwestern University's McCormick School of Engineering, with a courtesy appointment in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Her work bridges computational imaging, biological vision principles, and sustainable AI systems. She leads the Bio Inspired Vision (BIV) Lab, focusing on developing cameras and algorithms inspired by natural vision systems. Key research areas include bio-inspired color sensing, depth estimation, and physics-informed machine learning for scientific imaging.

Education: PhD and MS in Computer Science from Harvard University, BS in Physics and Computer Science from Yale University.

Research emphasizes reverse-engineering biological vision to advance imaging technologies. Notable projects include hyperspectral colorization, zebrafish optic flow analysis, and metalens-based depth sensors. Awards include Best Student Paper (ECCV 2016) and Best Demo (ICCP 2018). Her lab collaborates with astrophysicists through the SkAI Institute and engages in outreach through courses like Natural and Artificial Vision.

Teaching includes graduate Computational Optics and an advanced undergraduate course on vision science. She mentors over 10 students annually, with undergraduates contributing to publications at CVPR and MNRAS.