Jia-Jie ZhuView profile
Researcher
Jia-Jie Zhu is a machine learner and applied mathematician currently serving as head of an independent research group at the Weierstrass Institute for Applied Analysis and Stochastics in Berlin, with an upcoming appointment as tenured associate professor at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. Previously, he conducted postdoctoral research in machine learning at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Tübingen, Germany, following doctoral studies in optimization and numerical analysis at the University of Florida. His research focuses on the mathematical foundations of machine learning and optimization, particularly at the intersection of computational algorithms, dynamical systems, and probability theory. Key areas include: Robust probabilistic machine learning algorithms Kernel methods for distribution manipulation Variational methods for optimization over probability distributions Gradient flows and optimal transport theory Wasserstein and Fisher-Rao geometry Applications in generative modeling and causal inference Dr. Zhu's recent work reveals deep connections between partial differential equations, kernel methods, and machine learning, resulting in theoretically grounded algorithms for handling distribution shifts. His publications demonstrate a consistent trajectory from foundational optimization theory to cutting-edge applications in robust learning and generative modeling, with increasing emphasis on the mathematical structures underlying modern ML systems. He has secured significant research funding, including a DFG Project on 'Optimal Transport and Measure Optimization Foundation for Robust and Causal Machine Learning' within the Priority Program 'Theoretical Foundations of Deep Learning' (SPP 2298), and actively organizes academic events such as the Workshop on Optimal Transport from Theory to Applications (OT-DOM) and upcoming sessions at ICSP 2025 and SwissMAP. As an educator, Dr. Zhu teaches nonparametric statistics at Humboldt University of Berlin and serves as area chair for major conferences including AISTATS 2025. He maintains an active research group with opportunities for master's students, PhD candidates, and postdoctoral researchers interested in the mathematical frontiers of machine learning.
