Dr. Jian Ma

Biography

Jian Ma is a Ray and Stephanie Lane Professor in Computational Biology at Carnegie Mellon University and the Director of the Center for AI-Driven Biomedical Research (AI4BIO). His research focuses on developing biologically grounded artificial intelligence to uncover principles of cellular organization, communication, and function with broad implications for health and disease. Current research directions include nuclear architecture, single-cell epigenomics, spatial omics, and complex molecular interactions. He develops probabilistic deep learning models, particularly graph-based generative approaches, driving discovery and guiding experimentation in biological research. Jian explores ways to leverage biological foundation models with large language models to reveal gene regulatory mechanisms across the multi-scale organization of cells and tissues. His lab has contributed to multiple national and international research initiatives, including the NIH 4D Nucleome Program. Jian has received numerous awards, including being elected as a Fellow of the International Society for Computational Biology, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Research Interests