Meet the 2025–26 CDS Faculty Fellows
Advancing Neuroscience, AI, and Climate Science Through Data
We are excited to welcome the 2025–26 cohort of Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences (CDS) Faculty Fellows—Brian DePasquale, Boqing Gong, and Patrick Keys—three scholars whose work spans neuroscience, computer vision, and climate science. Together, their research reflects the interdisciplinary strength of CDS, uniting data science with fields as diverse as biology, sustainability, and artificial intelligence.
“This year’s Faculty Fellows embody the very essence of CDS—where data science is not confined to a single domain, but instead drives progress across disciplines,” said Azer Bestavros, Associate Provost for Computing & Data Sciences. “Brian, Boqing, and Pat are each pushing boundaries in their fields, and together they reflect our mission to leverage data to understand the brain, make AI more capable, and build more sustainable futures. Their work will not only shape their disciplines but also enrich the fabric of our CDS community.”
The Faculty Fellows Program is designed to develop and nurture a strong community of exceptional faculty members who pursue novel computational and data-driven research with strong potential for long-term impact. Since its launch in 2016 under the auspices of the Data Science Initiative (a precursor to CDS), the program has supported 20 fellows whose research spans computational linguistics, cognitive science, algorithmic fairness, biomedical imaging, computer vision, machine learning, AI, and more. DePasquale, Gong, and Keys now join this distinguished group.
We celebrate DePasquale, Gong, and Keys as they join our community of innovators. Discover the impact of their research below.
Brian DePasquale is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and leads the Artificial and Biological Intelligence Lab at the Center for Systems Neuroscience. He conducts quantitative neuroscience research at all scales, from cognitive neuroscience and circuit biophysics to protein biochemistry. He uses approaches from machine learning, dynamical systems, and probabilistic modeling to uncover neural algorithms underlying decision-making, movement, and sensory processing. During his doctoral work at Columbia University and postdoctoral training at the Princeton Neuroscience Institute, DePasquale developed biologically realistic network models bridging brain computation and AI. His lab collaborates with experimental neuroscientists to design biologically inspired models that advance both neuroscience and artificial intelligence. Read more.
Boqing Gong is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science and an affiliated faculty member of Systems Engineering. His research bridges the fields of computer vision and machine learning, with a focus on visual understanding, generalization, and efficiency. Gong investigates how machines perceive objects, scenes, and human activities—advancing innovations in foundation models, visual analytics, and generation. In addition to his research, he serves as an associate editor for IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, International Journal of Computer Vision, and Transactions on Machine Learning Research, and holds leadership roles at major AI conferences. Read more.
Patrick Keys joins Boston University from Colorado State University as Assistant Professor of Earth & Environment at the College of Arts & Sciences. His interdisciplinary research addresses global sustainability challenges, including climate change futures, moisture recycling, and societal resilience. Using climate models, simulations, and futures methods, his work explores how societies navigate turbulence toward just and sustainable futures. Before BU, Patrick led international collaborations on food security, drought, and climate adaptation. Read more.