Jian Ma

Jian Ma is the Ray and Stephanie Lane Professor of Computational Biology in the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University and the Founding Director of the Center for AI-Driven Biomedical Research (AI4BIO). Prior to joining CMU in 2016, he was a tenured Associate Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research integrates AI, machine learning, computational genomics, and cell biology to study gene regulation, genome architecture, and cellular organization across molecular, cellular, and tissue scales. His work has produced widely used computational methods and resources for studying genome architecture, single-cell molecular profiling, and spatial organization in tissues. He has led multi-institutional research programs, including an NIH center involving investigators from nine institutions, and he previously served as Co-Chair of the Steering Committee of the NIH 4D Nucleome Program. He serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago and on the RECOMB Steering Committee, and has held major community leadership roles including Program Chair of RECOMB 2024 and Proceedings Chair of ISMB 2026. Ma has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publications and has received more than $25M in research funding as PI, in addition to collaborative grants. His honors include the Allen Newell Award for Research Excellence, a Guggenheim Fellowship, an NSF CAREER Award, and election as Fellow of ACM, ISCB, AIMBE, and AAAS.