/cdsi/ en /cdsi/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/cdsi/article/jin-guo-appointed-associate-director-research%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E We are pleased to welcome Professor Jin Guo as Associate Director, Research at the Computational and Data Systems Institute (CDSI). As a member of our executive team, Professor Guo will lead the coordination of CDSI’s research initiatives, helping to advance interdisciplinary collaboration in areas related to artificial intelligence, data science, and computing across º£½ÇÉçÇø. In her role, Professor Guo will foster strategic partnerships, support the development of major research initiatives and funding opportunities, and oversee key CDSI research programs, including seed funding and faculty Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:20:59 -0400 1290 /cdsi/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/cdsi/article/announcing-2026-bmo-responsible-ai-junior-scholars%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E The Computational and Data Systems Institute (CDSI) is thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2026 BMO Responsible AI Research Awards at the undergraduate level, recognizing the new cohort of the BMO Responsible AI Junior Scholars. Congratulations to Zain Ahmed, Maya Hilke-Stolle, Denali Tran-Le, and Achyutha Surukanti (clockwise from top left)! The BMO Responsible AI Research Awards are stewarded by the º£½ÇÉçÇø Collaborative for AI and Society (McCAIS)—CDSI’s flagship strategic initiative—to support undergraduate students conducting research that advances the ethical and socially Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:00:06 -0400 1289 /cdsi/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/cdsi/article/crt-program-catalyzing-interdisciplinary-data-driven-research%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E º£½ÇÉçÇø researchers are tackling some of today’s most complex challenges that increasingly demand bold thinking that crosses conventionally recognized disciplinary boundaries. That’s exactly what the Convergent Research Themes (CRT) Program was designed to support. Administered by º£½ÇÉçÇø’s Computational and Data Systems Institute (CDSI) and funded by the Faculty of Science, the program seeks out innovative research where computational and data systems are central, and where progress depends on integrating perspectives from multiple fields. The Exploratory phase ($10,000) funds emergent groups Tue, 12 May 2026 11:00:00 -0400 1287 /cdsi/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/cdsi/article/frontiers-research-software-engineering%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E It was an afternoon of brain scans, cybersecurity, pizza and networking last week at CDSI’s Research Software Development Networking Symposium. Dozens of people from in and around the º£½ÇÉçÇø community came to the symposium to network and take in half a dozen talks on a range of topics. Presenting the main talk was Dr. Tristan Glatard of Concordia University. He shared the ways that research software is being used to improve neuroimaging, with new technologies that can be applied to everything from MRI scans to the categorization of Parkinsonian syndromes. “I think AI challenges are one of the Mon, 05 May 2025 15:17:09 -0400 1263 /cdsi/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/cdsi/article/honing-precision-medicine%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E Quebec has long been Canada’s hub for precision medicine — a kind of medicine that takes into account highly individual factors like genetics, environment and lifestyle to optimize care. This sector represents as-yet untapped potential for the artificial intelligence industry, and for researchers, this means an opportunity to lay the groundwork. One of these researchers was GöktuÄŸ Bender, a º£½ÇÉçÇø Psychology student and former BMO Jr. Responsible AI Scholar. Even before university, his interest lay in AI ethics. His minor in Behavioural Science and Social Studies of Medicine contributed to his Thu, 13 Mar 2025 16:23:49 -0400 1255 /cdsi/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/cdsi/article/having-tough-conversations-about-ai-ethics%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E While thousands of academics, business leaders, and heads of state were preparing to flock to the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris earlier this month, one º£½ÇÉçÇø academic was helping to shed light on some neglected aspects of the AI ethics debate. Dr. Renee Sieber, a professor in º£½ÇÉçÇø’s Bieler School of Environment and the Department of Geography, has long been interested in AI Ethics: Her work focuses on designing AI systems in a way that’s less top-down and more democratic. “You cannot avoid having values baked into AI systems, in large part because most, but not all, AI Thu, 27 Feb 2025 16:21:51 -0500 1214 /cdsi/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/cdsi/article/designing-ethical-artificial-intelligence-all%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E How do we design ethical AI systems? Considering the pervasive nature of AI systems, how do we make sure the experiences of people from a variety of backgrounds are accounted for in their design processes? Jocelyn Wong, a former º£½ÇÉçÇø Honours Cognitive Science student, wanted to explore these questions. She wanted to know how the processes of designing AI systems can be audited in a way that takes into account the lived experiences of people from all walks of life. In a relatively new field such as AI ethics, “A lot of the proposals that came out about auditing were about the process and what Mon, 10 Feb 2025 16:31:20 -0500 1213 /cdsi/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.mcgill.ca/cdsi/article/how-ai-can-improve-mental-healthcare%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3E David Benrimoh wanted to improve mental health outcomes for those suffering from, or at risk from suffering from, psychosis. But he needed support to bring his research project to life. That’s where CDSI came in: For three straight years, CDSI’s Convergent Research Themes (CRT) program has been supporting researchers whose interests don’t fit neatly into a box. Since its inception in 2022, the program has offered more than $136,000 to a dozen projects that cross disciplinary boundaries. In the program’s first year, the areas of focus included extreme weather events in smart cities, improving Mon, 27 Jan 2025 16:18:58 -0500 Ian Down 1200