Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning are entering most areas of scientific research, and their impact on Genetics in particular will be enormous. As a result, there is a need to create PhD programs in which students are trained to utilize and build on the methods of Machine Learning, and to understand the limitations, challenges, and ethical considerations accompanying AI. We will establish "AI in Genetics," an interdisciplinary PhD certificate program, to prepare tomorrow’s graduate students to seize opportunities provided by AI while being prepared to understand its limitations and to conduct ethically-informed research.
The scientific area of emphasis will be Genetics, including genomics and human disease, the genetics of host-pathogen interactions and viral pandemics, synthetic biology, and the interplay of genetics with ecology. Activities will include coursework and hands-on research projects, including a Team Rotation Capstone. The program builds on our experience in interdisciplinary graduate education gained through our current Interdisciplinary Quantitative Biology PhD program.
The most important products of AI in Genetics will be the PhD students prepared in the responsible use of AI and the faculty who will be poised to continue training students in this area beyond the grant period. In addition, broader impact will result from sharing the new curriculum with other graduate programs worldwide, including through a symposium, as well as the advances in research and AI itself that will result from this innovative PhD program that focuses on interdisciplinary training.
