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Mark SchmidtView profile

Professor

• Machine Learning
• Artificial Intelligence
• Mathematical Optimization
• +6 more

Mark Schmidt is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Science. He holds the Canada Research Chair in Large-Scale Machine Learning and is a Canada CIFAR AI Chair at the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute. His research spans multiple centers including CAIDA (Centre for Artificial Intelligence Decision-making and Action), the Data Science Institute, and the Machine Intelligence Learning Discovery (MILD) group. Dr. Schmidt's educational background includes a Ph.D. from UBC (2005-2010), an M.Sc. from the University of Alberta (2003-2005), and a B.Sc. from the University of Alberta (2000-2003). His academic career progressed from Postdoc positions at Simon Fraser University, Ecole Normale Superieure, and UBC to Assistant Professor (2014-2019), Associate Professor (2019-2024), and current Professor (2024-present) at UBC. His research focuses on machine learning optimization, with particular emphasis on improving numerical algorithms for large-scale machine learning applications. His work bridges theoretical optimization and practical applications across computer vision, natural language processing, and reinforcement learning. He has developed numerous optimization techniques including variants of stochastic gradient methods, coordinate descent algorithms, and natural gradient approaches. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on optimization for over-parameterized models, particularly transformers and large language models. His work addresses critical challenges in step-size selection, convergence guarantees, and efficient implementation of optimization algorithms. His research has significant implications for training deep neural networks more effectively and understanding why certain optimization methods outperform others in practice. Among his notable awards are the Dorothy Killam Fellowship (2025), Arthur B. McDonald Fellowship (2024), Sloan Research Fellowship (2017), and multiple UBC teaching awards. He has also received the Lagrange Prize in Continuous Optimization and Best Paper Award at AISTATS 2021. Dr. Schmidt actively supervises numerous graduate students, with over 40 PhD and Master's students listed as current or alumni members of his research group. His laboratory maintains strong connections with industry partners, with many alumni securing positions at leading AI companies including Google, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft.

Trevor CampbellView profile

Associate Professor

• Bayesian Inference
• Bayesian Nonparametrics
• Machine Learning
• +5 more

Trevor Campbell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Statistics at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver. He holds a Ph.D. in Machine Learning and Statistics from MIT and a B.A.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Toronto. His research focuses on automated, scalable Bayesian inference algorithms, Bayesian nonparametrics, and streaming data analysis. Campbell is a core contributor to probabilistic programming tools like Pigeons.jl and has developed influential methods for coreset-based Bayesian inference. Education : Ph.D. in Machine Learning and Statistics (2016), MIT M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics (2013), MIT B.A.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering (2011), University of Toronto Research Interests : His work emphasizes scalable Bayesian computation, including variational inference, MCMC optimization, and coresets. He develops algorithms that balance statistical accuracy with computational efficiency, particularly for large-scale datasets. His recent work explores adaptive samplers (e.g., AutoStep, autoMALA) and theoretical guarantees for coreset methods. Applications span astrophysics, materials science, and network analysis. Awards & Grants : NSERC Discovery Grant (2025) Blackwell-Rosenbluth Award (2021) PIMS Early Career Award (2023) Google Perception Academic Funding (2020) Advising & Labs : He supervises a team of PhD and M.Sc. students at UBC, focusing on Bayesian methodology and computational tools. His lab collaborates with institutions like SFU and MIT on projects involving distributed sampling and probabilistic modeling. He co-organizes workshops on Bayesian computation and serves on editorial boards for Bayesian Analysis and TMLR.

Pascal PoupartView profile

Professor

• Reinforcement Learning
• Probabilistic Models
• Natural Language Processing
• +3 more

Pascal Poupart is a Professor and Canada CIFAR AI Chair at the Vector Institute, affiliated with the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo. He leads research in reinforcement learning, probabilistic models, and federated learning systems. Research spans: Bayesian optimization efficiency improvements Inverse constraint learning from demonstrations Uncertainty quantification in neural networks Federated learning architectures Recent publications show 70% focus on reinforcement learning applications, with new methods developed for confident inverse constraint learning and preference-based generation. Manages the AI research group developing algorithms for material design and conversational agents.

• Machine Learning
• Deep Learning
• AI Safety
• +12 more

Tim G. J. Rudner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Statistical Sciences at the University of Toronto, a Faculty Member at the Vector Institute, and a Title A Fellow at Trinity College, University of Cambridge. He was previously an Assistant Professor and Faculty Fellow at New York University. University: University of Toronto School: Faculty of Arts and Science Department: Department of Statistical Sciences Affiliation: Vector Institute, Trinity College (Cambridge) He holds a PhD in Computer Science and an MSc in Statistics from the University of Oxford, where he was advised by Yee Whye Teh and Yarin Gal, and a BS in Applied Mathematics and Economics from Yale University. PhD: Computer Science, University of Oxford MSc: Statistics, University of Oxford BS: Applied Mathematics and Economics, Yale University His research focuses on building robust, transparent, and trustworthy machine learning systems, particularly for high-stakes applications. He develops probabilistic models that improve generalization under distribution shifts, provide reliable uncertainty estimates, and enable fair and interpretable predictions. His work spans generative models, large language models, healthcare, and biomedical discovery. The recent publications highlight a strong trend toward function-space modeling, Bayesian regularization, and AI safety. Tim's work emphasizes principled uncertainty quantification, robustness to subpopulation and semantic shifts, and the development of frameworks for AI governance and specification. His research bridges theoretical advances with real-world applications, especially in safety-critical domains like medicine and defense. Tim has received numerous accolades including being named a Rhodes Scholar, Qualcomm Innovation Fellow, and 2024 Rising Star in Generative AI. He was awarded a $700,000 Foundational Research Grant and a $30,000 Apple Seed Grant for improving LLM trustworthiness. Rhodes Scholar Qualcomm Innovation Fellow AISTATS Notable Paper Award (2024) Outstanding Paper Award, ICLR GenAI4DM Workshop (2024) Apple Seed Grant ($30,000) Foundational Research Grant ($700,000) NeurIPS Spotlight Talk 2024 Rising Star in Generative AI He actively mentors students, particularly first-generation and low-income scholars, and has contributed to major policy frameworks including the OECD AI Classification Framework and a series of CSET issue briefs on AI safety. His work demonstrates a strong commitment to responsible AI development, combining technical rigor with societal impact. Tim leads research efforts at the intersection of machine learning theory and practical deployment, with ongoing projects in generative modeling, reliable LLMs, and AI governance. His lab produces high-impact work regularly published at top-tier conferences such as NeurIPS, ICML, and AISTATS.

• Machine Learning
• Deep Learning
• Gaussian Processes
• +5 more

Geoffrey Pleiss is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Statistics at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Science. He is also a CIFAR AI Chair at the Vector Institute and an inaugural member of CAIDA's AIM-SI (AI Methods for Scientific Impact) cluster. His work bridges statistical theory, machine learning, and computational methods with applications across various scientific domains. Pleiss received his PhD from the Computer Science department at Cornell University in 2020, where he was advised by Kilian Weinberger and worked closely with Andrew Gordon Wilson. Prior to his faculty position at UBC, he was a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University with John P. Cunningham. His research focuses on the intersection of deep learning and probabilistic modeling, particularly on developing heuristic and approximate notions of uncertainty from machine learning models. His work has significant implications for reliable and optimal decision-making in experimental design and scientific discovery. Major research thrusts include neural network uncertainty quantification, Bayesian optimization, Gaussian processes, and ensemble methods. Pleiss develops theoretical frameworks while maintaining strong connections to practical applications across scientific domains. An analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on uncertainty quantification in deep learning models, with particular attention to the limitations and capabilities of ensemble methods in the era of overparameterized models. His work increasingly addresses practical challenges in Bayesian optimization for scientific discovery, especially in materials science. There's also a growing emphasis on computational efficiency in Gaussian process methods, reflecting his commitment to making advanced statistical techniques accessible for real-world applications. CIFAR AI Chair Pleiss currently advises several graduate students including Donney Fan (PhD, Computer Science), Tim G. Zhou (MSc, Computer Science), Zachary Lau (MSc, Statistics), Nathan Cantafio (BSc, Statistics), and Tristan Cinquin (Research Intern at Vector Institute). His research is supported by multiple funding sources including his CIFAR AI Chair position, which provides significant research resources for advancing machine learning methodologies with scientific impact. Pleiss co-created and maintains GPyTorch, a highly efficient and modular implementation of Gaussian processes in PyTorch designed for speed, modularity, and prototyping. He is also involved with CoLA (Compositional Linear Algebra), a library for structured linear algebra operations in JAX and PyTorch that enables fast linear algebra computations by automatically exploiting matrix structure.

Alexandre Bouchard-CôtéView profile

Professor

• Computational Statistics
• Bayesian Inference
• Monte Carlo Methods
• +4 more

Alexandre Bouchard-Côté is a Professor of Statistics at the University of British Columbia (UBC), affiliated with the Department of Statistics within the Faculty of Science. His research focuses on computational statistics, Bayesian methods, and Monte Carlo techniques, with applications in evolutionary biology, cancer genomics, and computational linguistics. Education : PhD in Computer Science (with Designated Emphasis in Statistics) from UC Berkeley (2010), BSc in Mathematics and Computer Science from McGill University (2005). Affiliations : Director of the Blang probabilistic programming project and leader of the Bouncy Particle Sampler research group. Research Interests : Bouchard-Côté develops scalable Bayesian computational methods, including non-reversible Monte Carlo algorithms like the Bouncy Particle Sampler, and applies these to problems in cancer phylogenetics, evolutionary dynamics, and historical linguistics. His work emphasizes bridging theoretical foundations with practical tools for data science. Publications Trends : Recent work spans distributed sampling frameworks (e.g., Pigeons.jl), variational phylogenetic inference, and cancer clonal evolution modeling. His articles often address algorithmic scalability and interdisciplinary applications in biology and astronomy. Awards : CRM-SSC Prize in Statistics (2024) PIMS-UBC Mathematical Sciences Young Faculty Award (2018) Tweedie New Researcher Award (2016) Advising & Grants : Supervises graduate students (e.g., Son Luu, Nikola Surjanovic) and leads funded projects on distributed MCMC and cancer genomics. Collaborates with institutions like the Simons Foundation and the Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute (CANSSI). Labs/Teams : Core member of the UBC Statistical Machine Learning group, contributing to open-source tools like Blang and the Bouncy Particle Sampler implementation.

Michael Jong KimView profile

Associate Professor

• Dynamic Programming
• Statistical Learning
• Robust Optimization
• +1 more

Michael Jong Kim is an Associate Professor at the Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia, specializing in the Division of Operations and Logistics. His research focuses on dynamic programming, statistical learning, robust optimization, and the exploration vs exploitation trade-offs in sequential decision-making processes. BASc, M.Math, and PhD from the University of Toronto His work spans topics in stochastic optimization, supply chain dynamics, and information dissemination in uncertain environments. Publications highlight contributions to Bayesian inventory control, semi-Markovian system control, and variance regularization in optimization models. Dr. Kim teaches advanced business analytics courses, including Descriptive and Predictive Business Analytics and Advanced Predictive Business Analytics (MBAN) during the 2024-2025 academic year. He can be reached at mike.kim@sauder.ubc.ca or by phone at +1 604.822.8682.

Mark LewisView profile

Professor

• Mathematical Biology
• Spatial Ecology
• Animal Movement Modelling
• +7 more

Mark Lewis is the Kennedy Chair in Mathematical Biology at the University of Victoria, holding joint appointments in the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics and Biology. His research focuses on spatial ecology and mathematical modeling, addressing ecological challenges such as animal movement, invasive species, and disease dynamics. Lewis earned his D.Phil. in Mathematical Biology from the University of Oxford and has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society UK. His work integrates mathematical analysis, field studies, and interdisciplinary approaches to solve ecological problems. Current projects include modeling polar bear populations, cyanobacteria dynamics, and the impact of climate change on wildlife. Lewis supervises students across both UVic and his former University of Alberta lab. Education: D.Phil. in Mathematics (Mathematical Biology), University of Oxford Awards: Royal Society Fellowship, CRM-Fields-PIMS Prize, and Okubo Prize Key Research Areas: Animal movement modeling, aquatic ecology, wildlife disease, and invasive species management Publications highlight his contributions to understanding disease spread, parasite dynamics, and ecological responses to environmental changes. Lewis collaborates widely, applying mathematical tools to real-world conservation and health challenges.

Tarek SayedView profile

Professor

• Transportation Engineering
• Traffic Safety Analysis
• Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
• +4 more

Dr. Tarek Sayed is a Professor at the University of British Columbia's Department of Civil Engineering within the Faculty of Applied Science. He specializes in Transportation Engineering, focusing on road safety analysis, traffic operations, and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). He serves as the Director of the Bureau of Intelligent Transportation Systems and Freight Security (BITSAFS-Engineering) and Editor of the Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering . His research addresses three core areas: improving road safety evaluation techniques, enhancing safety through traffic operations and highway design analysis, and advancing ITS technologies. Notable contributions include frameworks for safety-audits of infrastructure projects like the Sea to Sky Highway and methodologies for evaluating transit signal priority systems in Vancouver. He has authored/co-authored over 250 publications and supervised 60 graduate students. Key Roles: Professor, BITSAFS Director, Journal Editor Awards: Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, Wilbur Smith Award, Sandford Fleming Award, Prince Michael International Road Safety Award Consulting: Global projects in traffic safety and ITS for agencies like ICBC, FHWA, and Ashghal His research integrates Bayesian statistical methods, extreme value theory, and machine learning to model traffic conflicts, pedestrian behavior, and safety interventions. Current projects include real-time safety optimization using autonomous vehicle data and analyzing shared space interactions between cyclists and pedestrians. Dr. Sayed chairs national/international committees, including the U.S. Transportation Research Board’s safety data committee. His work bridges academia and practice, influencing policy and infrastructure investment decisions worldwide.

Murat ErdogduView profile

Assistant Professor

• Machine Learning
• High-dimensional Statistics
• Optimization
• +3 more

Murat Erdogdu is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto, jointly appointed in the Department of Computer Science and Department of Statistical Sciences . He is also a faculty member at the Vector Institute and holds the CIFAR Chair in Artificial Intelligence . PhD in Statistics, Stanford University (advised by Mohsen Bayati and Andrea Montanari) MSc in Computer Science, Stanford University BSc in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics, Bogazici University His research focuses on machine learning theory , high-dimensional statistics , and optimization . He has contributed to understanding gradient-based algorithms, sampling methods, and feature learning in structured data. Recent publications address problems in: Heavy-tailed sampling Mean-field Langevin dynamics Robust feature learning Minimax regression Stochastic optimization under infinite noise Scientific Awards: CIFAR Chair in Artificial Intelligence ICLR 2023 Spotlight NeurIPS 2019 & 2021 Spotlights He teaches graduate courses like STA 414/2104 (Statistical Methods for Machine Learning II) and STA 4273 (Modern Learning Theory) , emphasizing probabilistic modeling and theoretical analysis.

David DuvenaudView profile

Associate Professor

• Machine Learning
• Generative Models
• Bayesian Inference
• +5 more

David Duvenaud is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto , holding a Canada Research Chair in Generative Models and a Schwartz Reisman Chair in Technology and Society . He is cross-appointed to the Department of Computer Science and Department of Statistical Sciences . A Sloan Research Fellow and founding member of the Vector Institute , his work bridges deep probabilistic models , AI safety , and scientific computing . PhD in Machine Learning (University of Cambridge, 2014) Postdoc in Hyperparameter Optimization (Harvard University, 2016) Co-founded Invenia (energy forecasting company) His research spans foundational Neural Ordinary Differential Equations (NeurIPS 2018 Best Paper) and Automatic Chemical Design (ACS Central Science 2018) to recent work on AGI governance (2025) and AI safety (2024). Key contributions include stochastic variational inference , implicit differentiation frameworks , and antisymmetrization layers for quantum Monte Carlo. Recent publications (2024-2025) focus on systemic existential risks from AI , many-shot jailbreaking attacks , and epistemic uncertainty quantification . His group trains energy-based models with scalable MCMC samplers and develops invertible neural architectures (e.g., Residual Flows NeurIPS 2019). He also explores human-AI alignment through LLM Processes (NeurIPS 2024) and Sycophancy in Language Models (ICLR 2024). Canada Research Chair (2025) NSERC Grant (2025) Sloan Research Fellow (2021) Schwartz Reisman Chair (2021) Best Paper Award (NeurIPS 2018) Distinguished Paper Award (ICFP 2021) His students include James Requeima , Jesse Bettencourt , and Raymond Douglas . He teaches courses on Statistical Methods for Machine Learning and Differentiable Inference . Current work (2025) investigates systemic human disempowerment through incremental AI capabilities and sabotage risk mitigation via hyperparameter-aware evaluations.

• Privacy-Preserving Machine Learning
• Differential Privacy
• Machine Learning
• +3 more

Dr. Mi Jung Park is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia (UBC), part of the Faculty of Science. She is also a Canada CIFAR AI Chair at the Amii. Her research focuses on privacy-preserving machine learning, particularly differential privacy, synthetic data generation, and their applications in healthcare. She holds a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, supervised by Dr. Jonathan Pillow, and has held postdoctoral positions at the University of Amsterdam and University College London. Education : PhD, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Texas at Austin (2016) Master's, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Texas at Austin (2012) Bachelor's, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea (2009) Research Interests : Her lab develops methods to balance privacy and accuracy in data analysis, emphasizing differential privacy's role in healthcare. Key areas include: Generating synthetic data with privacy guarantees Integrating fairness, interpretability, and causality into privacy-preserving models Bayesian techniques for model compression and uncertainty estimation Recent Work Trends : Her publications explore differential privacy in generative models (e.g., diffusion models, kernel methods) and neural network pruning. Recent work highlights privacy-preserving techniques for image classification, latent diffusion, and perceptual feature integration. Awards : Canada CIFAR AI Chair (2021). Advising & Grants : Supervises postdocs (e.g., Mingyu Kim), master's students (e.g., Amman Yusuf), and PhD candidates (e.g., Margarita Vinaroz). Her research is supported by the CIFAR AI Chair program and collaborations with institutions like the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems. Labs & Teams : Leads the Privacy-Preserving Machine Learning Lab at UBC, advancing technologies to protect sensitive healthcare data while enabling clinical and research use.

Alexandra M. SchmidtView profile

Professor

• Biostatistics
• Bayesian Inference
• Spatial Statistics
• +3 more

Professor Alexandra M. Schmidt is a leading academic in Biostatistics at McGill University, holding an endowed University Chair. She specializes in spatial and spatio-temporal modeling, particularly in epidemiology and environmental health. Previously, she served as a Full Professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (2012–2016). Her research focuses on Bayesian methodologies for analyzing complex processes, including disease spread, environmental hazards, and socio-economic disparities. She has authored influential books such as Spatio-Temporal Methods in Environmental Epidemiology with R (2023) and contributed to over 150 peer-reviewed articles. Key awards include the ISBA Fellowship (2024), ASA Fellowship (2020), and the Abdel El-Shaarawi Award (2008). Education: PhD in Statistics (2001, University of Sheffield, UK), MSc and BSc in Statistics (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Research interests span Bayesian inference, spatial statistics, and environmental epidemiology. She has advised numerous PhD/MSc students and collaborated on projects linking statistical methods to public health challenges, such as modeling dengue outbreaks and air pollution impacts. Active in academic service, she has chaired major conferences (e.g., 2022 ISBA World Meeting) and serves on editorial boards of top journals like Bayesian Analysis and Canadian Journal of Statistics . Teaching includes advanced courses on generalized linear models, spatial epidemiology, and Bayesian analysis. Her work bridges theoretical statistics with practical applications, addressing global health issues through innovative spatio-temporal modeling techniques.

Chris MaddisonView profile

Assistant Professor

• Machine Learning
• Deep Learning
• Bayesian Inference
• +3 more

Chris Maddison is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Statistical Sciences at the University of Toronto. He serves as a CIFAR AI Chair at the Vector Institute, a member of the ELLIS Society, and a faculty affiliate of the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society. His research focuses on machine learning methodology, particularly gradient estimation techniques and AI applications in natural sciences, such as drug discovery and causal inference. Maddison previously held positions at Google DeepMind and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, NJ, and earned his DPhil from the University of Oxford. Education: DPhil in Computer Science, University of Oxford Affiliations: University of Toronto, Vector Institute, ELLIS Society, Schwartz Reisman Institute Maddison’s group works on methods for AI in drug discovery, causal inference, and scaling dynamics, with publications in top machine learning conferences (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR). He developed gradient estimation techniques now standard in deep learning and co-founded the AlphaGo project at DeepMind. NeurIPS Best Paper Award 2014 Open Philanthropy AI Fellow CIFAR AI Chair His lab includes PhD students Nikita Dhawan, Honghua Dong, Haonan Duan, Ayoub El Hanchi, Chuning Li, Yangjun Ruan, and Anvith Thudi. Former members include Dami Choi, Daniel Johnson, and Max Paulus. He teaches courses on large models, statistical methods for machine learning, and machine learning fundamentals.

Agustinus KristiadiView profile

Assistant Professor

• Probabilistic Machine Learning
• Uncertainty Quantification
• Decision-Making Under Uncertainty
• +3 more

Agustinus Kristiadi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Western University, London, Ontario, Canada. He is also a Faculty Affiliate at the Vector Institute. His research focuses on probabilistic machine learning, uncertainty quantification, and decision-making under uncertainty in foundational models like deep neural networks and large language models, with applications in scientific domains such as chemistry and biology. His recent work on efficient reward-guided text generation in large language models has been accepted to ICML 2025 and COLM 2025. His research has been recognized through a Best PhD Thesis Award and multiple spotlight papers at leading machine learning conferences. He actively contributes to the scientific community through mentoring underrepresented students and open-source development. Agustinus is currently hiring funded PhD and MSc students to work on large-scale probabilistic models, decision-making under uncertainty, and AI for Science applications. Prospective students must demonstrate mathematical maturity, programming proficiency, and reliability.