Pradeep Sen

Pradeep Sen is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he directs both the UCSB MIRAGE Lab and the UCSB Gaucho Game Lab. His research spans computer graphics, computational photography, and real-time rendering, with significant contributions to high dynamic range imaging and Monte Carlo rendering techniques. Sen has established himself as a leading researcher in computer graphics with numerous publications in top venues including SIGGRAPH and IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics.

• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Stanford University (2006)
• M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Stanford University (1998)
• B.S. in Computer and Electrical Engineering, Purdue University (1996)

Dr. Sen's research primarily focuses on novel rendering algorithms for accelerating global illumination and image-based techniques for capturing light transport. His work bridges theoretical advances in computer graphics with practical applications in video game development and immersive technologies. He has made significant contributions to patch-based high dynamic range video, computational zoom, and denoising Monte Carlo renderings using machine learning approaches. His research has important applications in virtual reality, augmented reality, and medical imaging.

Analysis of Sen's recent publications reveals a strong trend toward integrating machine learning techniques with traditional computer graphics algorithms. His work has evolved from fundamental rendering techniques to more complex applications involving neural networks for image synthesis, 3D reconstruction, and content creation. There's a clear progression from his early work on dual photography and HDR imaging to more recent work on virtual try-on systems, diffusion models for image editing, and cosmic ray detection frameworks.

• Symposium on Computer Animation (SCA) Best Paper Award (2016)
• High Performance Graphics (HPG) Best Paper Finalist (2015)
• CVPR 2015 Outstanding Reviewer Award (2015)
• National Science Foundation CAREER award (2009)
• SIGGRAPH/Eurographics Graphics Hardware Conference Best Paper Award (2004)

Dr. Sen has successfully mentored numerous PhD and Master's students who have gone on to prominent positions at companies like Adobe, Facebook Reality Labs, and Pinterest. His research has been generously funded through multiple NSF grants totaling over $1.6 million, including a prestigious CAREER award. He has also secured funding from NVIDIA, Sandia National Laboratories, and other sources to support his innovative work in computer graphics and visualization.

As Director of both the UCSB MIRAGE Lab and the UCSB Gaucho Game Lab, Sen leads research teams focused on advancing computer graphics, imaging, visualization, and computer vision technologies. The MIRAGE Lab conducts fundamental research in rendering algorithms and computational photography, while the Gaucho Game Lab focuses on video game development and immersive experiences. These labs foster interdisciplinary collaboration between computer science, electrical engineering, and media arts students and faculty.