Jonathan Scarlett

Jonathan Scarlett is an Associate Professor jointly appointed in the Department of Computer Science, Department of Mathematics, and Institute of Data Science at the National University of Singapore (NUS). He also serves as Assistant Dean (Graduate Studies) in the School of Computing. His research focuses on information theory, machine learning, and high-dimensional statistics, with applications to optimization, group testing, and statistical inference.

Education:

• Ph.D. (Information Engineering), University of Cambridge (2014)
• B.Eng. (Electrical Engineering) and B.Sci. (Computer Science), University of Melbourne (2010)

Research Interests:

• Algorithmic foundations of machine learning and statistical estimation
• Information-theoretic limits and adaptive algorithms
• Applications in group testing, compressed sensing, and DNA storage
• Robust optimization under uncertainty and adversarial settings

His work bridges theoretical guarantees with practical algorithm design, emphasizing scalable solutions for high-dimensional problems.

Key Achievements:

• Recipient of Singapore NRF Fellowship (2018) and NUS Presidential Young Professorship
• Listed in MIT Technology Review's 'Innovators Under 35' Asia Pacific (2021)
• Over 100 publications in top venues like ICML, NeurIPS, and IEEE Transactions

Advising & Grants:

• Supervised multiple PhD students in areas like Bayesian optimization, group testing, and compressed sensing
• Lead researcher on projects supported by NRF and NUS grants
• Developed novel frameworks for safe Bayesian optimization and robust bandit algorithms

Labs & Collaborations: Active in the Information Theory and Statistical Learning Group at NUS, collaborating with global institutions like EPFL and MIT on data science challenges.