About
Homayoun Valafar is a Professor and Chair in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of South Carolina's Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing. He also directs the AI Institute and serves as an affiliate faculty member in Biomedical Engineering. His research focuses on computational medicine and biology, including protein folding and hybrid experimental-computational methods funded by NIH and NSF. Key areas include modeling medical treatments for sickle cell anemia and developing smartwatch-based gesture recognition for opioid adherence monitoring. He leads initiatives like DataDock, an open-source data hub, and the mLife study for diabetes prevention. His work spans AI-driven healthcare, bioinformatics, and medical imaging with over 100 publications since 2008.
Education:
- Ph.D., Purdue University (1995)
- M.S., Purdue University (1990)
- B.S., Michigan Technological University (1988)
Research Interests: Computational Medicine (e.g., Hydroxyurea modeling), Protein Structure Dynamics (hybrid experimental-computational approaches), Wearable Technology (activity/gesture recognition), and AI in Healthcare (clinical trials, data analytics). His NIH/NSF-funded projects address protein folding challenges and translational medicine.
Grants & Funding: Major support from NIH and NSF for hybrid protein structure research and healthcare AI applications.
Labs & Teams: Leads the AI Institute and collaborates across disciplines in the Molinaroli College, focusing on AI-driven solutions for healthcare and engineering challenges.
