Research events roundup
Crossroads of Ideas: Quantum Frontiers
Date: December 9
Time: 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Cost; Free
Presented in celebration of 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. Quantum science might sound like it belongs in the lab or a science fiction novel, but its impact is already woven into our daily lives—from the technology in our phones to the future of computing and medicine. Join the Wisconsin Quantum Institute’s Aws Albarghouthi (Computer Science) and Matthew Otten (Physics) for a moderated session discussion with Katerina Moloni, exploring the fascinating science of the quantum world and why understanding it matters for all of us. This Crossroads of Ideas conversation will pull back the curtain on quantum science, revealing its surprising role in shaping the present, and the future, we all share.
Clinical Practice Enhanced by Artificial Intelligence (AI) Grand Rounds
A Research Survival Guide: A Retrospective on my First Six Years Learning How to Research. Speaker: Mike Davies.
Curiosity and serendipity led me to pursue a Ph.D. in Computer Architecture, but did not prepare me to navigate the gauntlet of graduate research. After six years, many paper rejections, and countless sleepless nights, I was able to publish a first-author paper, forming the basis for my thesis. The experience pushed me to learn a lot about myself, how I learn and ideate, and most importantly, how to bridge my own personal way of thinking to the reality of academic research. In this talk I will reflect on my journey — offering the lessons I learned about myself and research in practice — with the goal of helping graduate students thrive in computer architecture research.
Bio. Michael Davies joined NVIDIA in July 2024 and is a member of the Architecture Research Group. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2024 where he was advised by Karu Sankaralingam. Mike’s current work focuses on emerging execution models for Deep Learning on GPUs. At a broad level, he is interested in topics spanning architecture, programming languages and operating systems with an eye towards how abstractions at different layers of the technology stack can be crafted to help deliver performance and efficiency by construction – for deep learning and beyond.
Academic drug discovery: challenges and opportunities: Zhiqiang An — University of Texas Health Science Center | Host — Jae-Hyuk Yu
The Department of Bacteriology Distinguished Lectures in Microbiology are supported in part by the J.B. Wilson Fund, the Perry Wilson Fund, the Dennis and Alicemay Watson Lectureship Fund, and the E.B. Fred Memorial Fund.
The Department of Bacteriology values and prioritizes increasing diversity, of both visible and invisible forms, in our invited speakers for the Distinguished Lectures in Bacteriology seminar series and departmental symposia.