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Computing + Biology

When imagining the future of technology, sometimes all we need to do is look out the window — or into a microscope.

Our researchers take inspiration from nature to redefine what a computer can be, from data storage using synthetic DNA, to sensors modeled on insects and leaves. We also advance technologies to help solve biology’s biggest mysteries, such as computational approaches for understanding the mechanisms of disease and brain-computer interfaces that can restore or augment physical function and mobility.


Research Groups & Labs

Neural Systems Lab featured photo with an activated brain.

Neural Systems Lab

The Neural Systems Lab at the UW focuses on understanding the brain using computational models and simulations, and applying this knowledge to the task of developing human-like artificial intelligence (AI) and brain-computer interfaces (BCIs).

Closeup of AI-augmented headphone on person's ear

Mobile Intelligence Lab

The interdisciplinary Mobile Intelligence Lab builds intelligent systems and tools for tackling hard technical and societal problems, including battery-free computing, medical diagnostics, augmented human perception and more.


Allen School Faculty

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Centers & Initiatives

Society + Technology is a cross-campus, cross-disciplinary initiative and community at the University of Washington that is dedicated to research, teaching and learning focused on the social, societal and justice dimensions of technology.

The Institute for Medical Data Science (IMDS) is a joint effort among the Schools of Medicine and Public Health and the College of Engineering, including the Allen School to lead the development and implementation of cutting-edge AI and data science methods in medical data science. By harnessing the power of AI across diverse health determinants, IMDS aims to improve patient health, provider satisfaction, and healthcare operations, particularly in the Pacific Northwest region.

Highlights


Allen School News

Professors Andrea Coladangelo, Matthew Golub, Ranjay Krishna, Chinmay Nirkhe, and Stephanie Wang are shaping the future of computing through projects spanning AI, systems, computational neuroscience, cryptography and quantum computing.

Allen School News

Itani, who works with Allen School professor Shyam Gollakota in the Mobile Intelligence Lab, was recognized for exceptional early-career research advancing AI systems for “superhuman” hearing.

HearingTracker

A technology known as semantic hearing developed in Allen School professor Shyam Gollakota’s lab could let users create acoustic bubbles, isolate chosen voices, and control individual sounds in their environment.