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
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).
Systems Neuroscience & AI Lab (SNAIL)
SNAIL develops computational models and algorithms for understanding how single-trial neural population activity drives our abilities to generate movements, make decisions, and learn from experience.
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
MIT Technology Review Korea
Allen School professor Su-In Lee discusses the role of artificial intelligence in science and medicine and explains why the process the model follows to arrive at an answer is as important as the answer itself.
KUOW Soundside
Researcher Chris Takahashi describes how the Molecular Information Systems Lab encoded historical documents from the Library of Congress in synthetic DNA for a time capsule marking America’s 250th anniversary.
Allen School News
Professor Magda Balazinska was honored for her influential contributions in data management and data science, while Professor Shwetak Patel was recognized for his groundbreaking work applying computing to health and sustainability.