Jielai Zhang of the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics in the Faculty of Arts & Science, along with Xiwen Gong of the Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, was named last week to the inaugural class of Schmidt Science Fellows for 2018-19.
The new program administered in partnership with the Rhodes Trust provides postdoctoral opportunities in areas different from those in which they completed their PhD research.
Gong and Zhang are among 14 recipients in the inaugural class, which also includes scholars from institutes such as University of British Columbia, Harvard University, MIT, Stanford University, and ETH Zurich. Of all the institutions with recipients in the inaugural class, Harvard was the only other one to receive two awards.
Zhang focuses on understanding how galaxies grow and evolve, working with Professor Roberto Abrahamon the Dragonfly project, which was initiated with support from the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics at U of T among other sources. The technology uses a multi-lens approach to mitigate scattered light when collecting images of previously undetectable objects in the sky.
She plans to take techniques in astronomy and apply them to health care. Building on her work in imaging galaxies more than 10,000 times dimmer than the moonless night sky, Zhang hopes to leverage her engineering and data skills to improve medical imaging techniques, uncovering the physiological causes of certain diseases.
“There are a host of common challenges between the two fields and combining forces is going to help both fields design new solutions to the most difficult problems,” said Zhang. “The application of machine learning to image processing and diagnosis is a growing area of interest in medical imaging, as is its application to astronomy to detect changes in the transient sky in real time. I will work towards a future research career that continues to bridge the fields of astronomy and medical imaging, to the benefit of both fields.”
In addition to the post-doctoral placement, the program will also feature five weeks of high-level courses and experiential workshops that will explore a diverse range of scientific advances, conversations with some of the world’s preeminent scientific and societal leaders, and immersive leadership experiences that will help Fellows build support for their future work. These weeks will be hosted by several of the world’s leading universities who have partnered with the Schmidt Science Fellows program, beginning at the University of Oxford in July 2018.
“Working with Jielai on the development of the Dragonfly Telephoto Array project has been a joy,” said Abraham. “We’ve had so much fun exploring the Universe with Dragonfly together! And now she’s embarking on her next big adventure, which is to figure out how to use what she’s learned to try to help people via medical imaging.
“She is an outstandingly gifted student with leadership ability and boundless potential, and a very worthy recipient of a Schmidt Fellowship.”
The fellowships will place the students in a new research environment immediately following the completion of their PhD studies, in order to encourage an interdisciplinary scientific mindset.
“By working in a research lab outside of their existing area of expertise, our graduates will be introduced to new science and technology, fresh ways of thinking and approaches to challenges, and will have opportunities to expand their network of colleagues who can help shape their future success,” says Vivek Goel, U of T’s vice-president of research and innovation. “My sincere congratulations to both on this well-deserved recognition of their tremendous work.”
“The Schmidt Science Fellows program is truly unique in that it creates optimal conditions for creativity, innovation, and cross-fertilization across the STEM disciplines,” added Joshua Barker, vice-provost, graduate research and education, and dean of the School of Graduate Studies.
“I am extraordinarily proud of Xiwen and Jielai’s achievement and really see this opportunity as a potential game-changer, both for their own intellectual development and for the advancement of their fields.”
Funding for the Schmidt Science Fellows program comes from Eric and Wendy Schmidt. He is the former executive chair of Google and then Alphabet, and she is the president of The Schmidt Family Foundation and co-founder of the Schmidt Ocean Institute.