Assistant Professor at Department of Electronic Engineering, Tsinghua University, China
Quanming Yao is a world-class researcher in the field of machine learning, holding the position of Assistant Professor in the Department of Electronic Engineering at Tsinghua University. With a strong academic background and extensive experience in deep learning, Yao’s research focuses on creating efficient and parsimonious solutions in machine learning, particularly in deep networks and graph learning. His work aims to enhance interpretability in AI models and has led to groundbreaking advancements, such as the development of EmerGNN, the first deep learning model that interprets drug-drug interaction predictions for new drugs. His contributions have significantly impacted both academia and industry, leading to the commercialization of his methods in the AI unicorn 4Paradigm.
Profile
Orcid
Education
Yao earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) between 2013 and 2018. Prior to this, he completed his undergraduate studies at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, where he obtained a degree in Electronic and Information Engineering in 2013.
Experience
Before becoming an assistant professor at Tsinghua University in 2021, Yao worked as a researcher and senior scientist at 4Paradigm Inc. in Hong Kong, from June 2018 to May 2021. In his current academic role, he serves as a Ph.D. advisor, leading research in machine learning and AI, with a specific focus on making deep learning models more efficient and interpretable.
Research Interests
Yao’s research interests revolve around the concept of “parsimonious deep learning,” wherein he explores how simple solutions can lead to substantial improvements in machine learning models. His work is especially notable for its emphasis on automated graph learning methods, which has earned him first place in the Open Graph Benchmark, an equivalent to ImageNet in graph learning. He is also dedicated to the development of deep learning methods that provide interpretable results, particularly in domains like drug discovery, where his innovations have had a direct impact on creating a synthetic biology startup, Kongfoo Technology.
Awards
Yao’s exceptional contributions to the field of machine learning have earned him numerous prestigious awards. These include the Inaugural Intech Prize in 2024, the Aharon Katzir Young Investigator Award in 2023, Forbes 30 Under 30 in the Science & Healthcare Category (China) in 2020, and the Google Ph.D. Fellowship in 2016. He was also recognized as one of the World’s Top 2% Scientists in 2023, highlighting his influence in the global research community.
Publications
Yao has published over 100 papers in top-tier international journals and conferences, with a significant citation record (around 12,000 citations and an h-index of 36). His work includes several landmark papers, such as:
Emerging Drug Interaction Prediction Enabled by Flow-based Graph Neural Network with Biomedical Network, Nature Computational Science, 2023.
AutoBLM: Bilinear Scoring Function Search for Knowledge Graph Learning, IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence (TPAMI), 2022.
Efficient Low-rank Tensor Learning with Nonconvex Regularization, Journal of Machine Learning Research (JMLR), 2022.
Co-teaching: Robust Training Deep Neural Networks with Extremely Noisy Labels, Advance in Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS), 2018.
These papers showcase his innovative work in the areas of drug interaction prediction, knowledge graph learning, and robust training of deep neural networks, significantly impacting both theoretical and practical aspects of AI.
Conclusion
Quanming Yao stands out as a leader in machine learning, particularly in deep learning, graph learning, and AI applications in drug discovery. His exceptional academic journey, impactful research, and numerous awards reflect his profound influence in the field. Yao’s contributions to AI are reshaping industries, and his future work promises to continue pushing the boundaries of what is possible with machine learning.