About me
I am a principal AI scientist specializing in deep learning and bioinformatics. My work focuses on LLMs and foundation models to integrate multimodal data—omics, imaging, text, and single-cell—unlocking deeper insights into complex biological systems and enabling the identification of therapeutic targets. I also explore generative biology and perturbational modeling for sequence design and target validation, while building agentic AI systems to automate discovery, orchestrate complex analyses, and accelerate experimental design.
With more than a decade of experience at the intersection of AI and bioinformatics, I bridge deep scientific insight with strategic decision-making to deliver scalable, high-impact solutions. I focus on aligning AI innovation with organizational priorities, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and mentoring the next generation of scientists—ensuring that AI serves as a transformative force in how we discover and deliver new therapies.
Research Areas:
Generative Models, Large Language Models, Generative Biology, Multi Omics
Short Bio
I am currently a principal Artificial Intelligence scientist at J&J working on AI/ML for multimodal data integration (omics, images, text, etc.), generative biology, and perturbational modeling. I received a master’s in Bioinformatics from the Max Planck Institute for Informatics and Saarland University in Germany. I did my PhD with the International Max Planck Research School for Computer Science at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics. While at Max Planck, I was fortunate to be advised by Prof. Marcel Schulz. I was also a visiting student at Prof. Ernest Fraenkel’s lab. From April 2019 - February 2021, I was a postdoctoral research associate at Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) under the supervision of Prof. Manolis Kellis. In my spare time, I play soccer and go hiking. My favorite soccer player is Cristiano Ronaldo.
News
- I will give an invited talk on AI’s Impact on the Future of Biotechnology at MIT Department of Engineering in October 2025.
I gave an invited talk at Boston Biotech Summit 2025 on how AI is transforming value creation in biotech ( See blog about my talk).
- I presented our paper on multimodal foundational model for gRNA activity prediction at ICML 2025, Vancouver (fulltext)
- I gave an invited talk at Boston Biotech Summit 2024 on AI applications in biotech and pharmaceutical industry ( Watch my pre-summit interveiw).
Students and Interns
- Junchao Zhu – Summer intern from Vanderbilt University working on multimodal foundation model for spatial omics
- Sophie Guo – Summer intern from MIT, working on generative modeling of perturbational single-cell data
Awards
- International Max Planck Research School for Computer Science (IMPRS-CS) PhD Fellowship
- DAADA fellowship for doctorial research visit at MIT
- Travel fellowship for German Conference on Bioinformatics 2016
- Travel fellowship for ISMB-SIG 2016