Category: CS Research Seminar Series

BabyVFM: Data-Efficient Pretraining of Vision LLMs Inspired by Infant Learning

BabyVFM: Data-Efficient Pretraining of Vision LLMs Inspired by Infant Learning Guest Speaker: Dr. Boqing Gong Moderated by Dr. Reza Rawassizadeh, Associate Professor of Computer Science Friday, 10th October, 2025 Abstract: Pretraining vision (large) foundation models (VFMs) is prohibitively expensive, making it a privilege for institutions with abundant resources and leaving independent researchers to downstream tasks, […]

From Cell Line to Command Line: My Unexpected Journey to Bioinformatics

Guest Speaker: Dr. Ming Tang Moderated by Dr. Reza Rawassizadeh, Associate Professor of Computer Science Monday, 15th September, 2025 Abstract: Dr. Ming will share his journey of learning bioinformatics from scratch, detailing how he transitioned from a wet-lab biologist to a computational biologist. He’ll offer practical tips, learning strategies, and career insights to help you […]

Fantastic Photonic Computing Systems and How to Use Them for AI

Guest Speaker: Dr. Ajay Joshi, Professor, Department of ECE, BU Moderated by Dr. Avinash Mohan, Assistant Prof of CS Friday, 28th March, 2025 Abstract: Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based computing is commonly used today in a variety of domains including finance, healthcare, supply chain, and education. To support the ever-growing demands of AI-based computing workloads, there is […]

Making AI Impactful in Healthcare | Dr. Soroush Saghafian

Guest Speaker: Dr. Soroush Saghafian Moderated by Dr. Reza Rawassizadeh, Associate Prof of CS Monday, 14th April, 2025 Abstract: There is increasing evidence that Machine Learning and Artificial intelligence algorithms can be used to enhance clinical care. In this talk, I address two critical aspects that can significantly improve the impact of such algorithms in […]

Understanding LLMs: How They Function and How They Have Changed

 Guest Speaker: Dr. Sebastian Ratschka, Staff Research Engineer at Lightning AI Moderated by Dr. Reza Rawassizadeh, Associate Prof of CS Monday, 3rd February, 2025 Abstract: This talk will guide the audience through the key stages of developing large language models (LLMs). We’ll start by explaining how these models are built, including the coding of their architectures. Next, […]

Combining the Power of Biobanks and System Biology Approaches for Better Infectious Disease Prevention and Treatment

Guest Speaker: Dr. Samira Asgari, Assistant Professor of Genetics and Genomic Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY Moderated by Dr. Reza Rawassizadeh, Associate Prof of CS Friday, November 15, 2024 Abstract: The clinical outcome of any infectious disease can vary widely, ranging from asymptomatic cases to fatal outcomes, depending on […]

Using Everyday Routines as a Resource for Understanding Behaviors and Making Recommendations

  Using Everyday Routines as a Resource for Understanding Behaviors and Making Recommendations Guest Speaker: Dr. Anind K. Dey, Professor and Dean of the Information School at the University of Washington. Moderated by Dr. Reza Rawassizadeh, Associate Professor of Computer Science, Boston University Metropolitan College Monday, April 15 at 2:30pm EST Abstract: We live in a […]

Empowering Engagement: Data-Driven Strategies in Digital Health and Wellbeing

  Empowering Engagement: Data-Driven Strategies in Digital Health and Wellbeing Guest Speaker: Dr. Uichin Lee, Professor in the School of Computing, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Moderated by Dr. Reza Rawassizadeh, Associate Professor of Computer Science, Boston University Metropolitan College Friday, March 1 at 10:00 AM EST Abstract: The use of mobile, wearable, […]