Katie Bouman

Katie Bouman is an Associate Professor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences (CMS), with courtesy appointments in Electrical Engineering and Astronomy at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). She is also a Rosenberg Scholar and an Investigator at the Heritage Medical Research Institute. Her research focuses on computational imaging, integrating algorithm and sensor design to observe phenomena traditionally inaccessible through conventional methods. She leads the Computational Cameras Group, which develops systems for scientific discovery and technological innovation in fields such as astrophysics, medical imaging, and computer vision.

Bouman holds a B.S.E. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan (2011), an S.M. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT (2013 and 2017). Before joining Caltech, she was a postdoctoral fellow with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), contributing to the groundbreaking first image of a black hole in 2019.

Her research interests span signal processing, machine learning, and physics-driven imaging solutions. Notable projects include 3D black hole gas reconstruction, MRI acceleration, and neural field-based tomography. She emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, merging computational methods with domain-specific challenges in astronomy and biomedical engineering.

• Awards: PECASE Award, Sloan Fellowship, NSF CAREER Award, Royal Photographic Society Progress Medal, Breakthrough Prize (co-recipient).
• Grants: Okawa Research Grant, HMRI Investigator funding.

Bouman advises students in CMS and collaborates with industry through the Caltech Center for Sensing to Intelligence (S2I). Her lab fosters diversity and inclusion, prioritizing equitable participation in STEM fields.