George W. Pearsall Lecture: Subra Suresh, "Deep Learning from Nature and Machines"

Presenter: Dr. Subra Suresh

Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science (MEMS), welcomes Dr. Subra Suresh, Vannevar Bush Professor Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Professor at Large, Brown University, who will present the George W. Pearsall lecture, "Deep Learning from Nature and Machines."

ABSTRACT: This lecture will deal with three broad areas of science and technology, materials science, plant science, and medical science to examine collaborative intelligence from nature and machines. We consider how appropriate combinations of neural networks and biomimetics with experimental observations, computational modeling, and imaging can guide us to improve the design, properties and performance of materials. A processing route to produce nature-derived materials is presented whereby the building blocks can be tailor-made to produce digitally modulated structures, soft robotic components, and biocompatible substrate materials for wearable devices. For biomedical applications, novel approaches that integrate microfluidic platforms with static and dynamic data and images from clinical settings are also discussed to demonstrate how deep learning approaches can potentially offer new possibilities to improve patient outcomes in disease diagnostics, therapeutics, and treatment. Specific cases considered here include metallization of nanoscale diamond for tunable electronic properties; design of plant-based materials for soft robotics; multi-fidelity machine learning algorithms; and artificial intelligence velocimetry to probe diabetic retinopathy and blood disorders.

BIO: SUBRA SURESH is Vannevar Bush Professor Emeritus at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Professor at Large at Brown University. He is Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of Société Générale, the financial services group based in Paris; President of Global Learning Council of the Villars Institute, Switzerland, where he also serves on the Board of Villars Institute Foundation; and a Trustee of California Institute of Technology. He previously served as President of Carnegie Mellon University, President of Nanyang Technological University Singapore, and Dean of Engineering at MIT. He also served as Director of the US National Science Foundation (NSF), a position to which he was nominated by the President of the United States and unanimously confirmed by the US Senate.

Reception immediately following lecture in Fitzpatrick Center Atrium.

Contact

Spaulding, Amy
919-660-5310
amy.spaulding@duke.edu