PhD Trainees
Caoliwen Wang
Heng Zhang (co-advisor: Chao)
Siyuan Chen
Weijia Zeng (co-advisor: Kwang)
Xiyang Tan (co-advisor: Kwang)
Joining the Group
TL;DR: We are building a research group at the University of British Columbia (UBC). We would love for you to join us!
Our research revolves around the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and physics simulation. Physics simulation has become the third pillar of science and engineering, alongside theory and experiments. Two distinct simulation paradigms have emerged: the classical laws of physics approach, e.g., leveraging partial differential equations (PDEs) derived from first principles, and the data-driven approach, e.g., training neural networks from observations. Our research asks: how can we organically integrate these two approaches to amplify their respective strengths? Along with out collaborators, we publish interdisciplinary research in diverse venues, including machine learning, computer graphics, scientific computing, mechanics, robotics, and more.
Thank you for considering joining us! Choosing a graduate school can be a daunting decision, and we know firsthand how challenging it can be—I’ve faced it three times: once for grad school, once for postdoc, and most recently when deciding where to become a faculty member. There are so many factors to consider, and what works well for someone else might not be the best fit for you. But remember, there is no wrong choice—you’ll succeed no matter where you go! With that in mind, I’d like to share why we chose UBC—and why you might want to as well.
Visual Computing
At UBC, we have three active SIGGRAPH academy members: Alla, Dinesh, and Michiel. Together with Derek, Kwang, Leonid, we form an amazing academic ecosystem. Our research spans a wide range of visual computing topics. There are endless opportunities to collaborate and join force! Before we forget, we should mention that our crosstown neighbor also has a lot of visual computing research going on too. Vancouver is an exciting place to be if you are interested in visual computing—many of out visual effects and gaming colleagues are based here as well.
Physics-Informed AI
At UBC, we are part of the AI4Science cohort. Together, we aim to bring together researchers from across UBC’s science and engineering departments to tackle the most pressing scientific and engineering challenges using AI. To that end, We are particularly excited to work with fellow MIT alumni and UBC new-hire Kelsey on exploring data-driven physics and differentiable physics. Peter is also eager to continue his collaboration with another MIT alumni and UBC new-hire, Chao, on robotics and embodied AI. Alongside Rajeev, we look forward to pushing the boundaries of scientific machine learning with applications to computer-aided design and manufacturing. With Jeff, We are excited to explore the exciting opportunities to train AI Scientists! And let’s not forget—before AI, UBC has a long history of excellence in scientific computing.
Alumni
UBC alumni have achieved incredible things in academia and industry. Even in just our immediate field, we often discuss research with UBC graduates like Christopher, Danny, Dave, Doug, Gordon, Minchen, Shin, and Stelian. The Imager Lab has a rich and long history of producing amazing talent.
Vancouver
In grad school, you are not only educated by your immediate research community but also by the broader community around you. Vancouver is an incredibly diverse city, with people from every corner of the Earth, where everyone’s culture is cherished and promoted. (And just saying, the food scene is incredible!) Vancouver will prepare you to become a global citizen, ready to engage with diverse communities. The ability to communicate and connect with a wide range of audiences is an essential skill, no matter where life takes you. For Peter and his partner, Vancouver offers vibrant, diverse people plus the ocean and mountains, making it the perfect place to raise their family. After moving between the west and east coasts, they are thrilled to finally call Vancouver home. Of course, when everyone wants to live in such an awesome place, it does push the cost of living up. Vancouverites are working to address this.
Graduate Students
If you would like to join the group as a graduate student, you can apply directly to the CS department. Undergraduates please directly apply to the PhD program. We would love to connect before you apply! Feel free to send us an email. We especially encourage women and individuals from underrepresented groups to apply. All programs are fully funded.
Q: Can I apply if I have an applied math background?
Yes, please! A couple of us were math undergrads and went straight to a CS PhD program. You are welcome to either apply to the CS department or any other department! Peter will be able to advise you one way or another. That said, at the moment, purely from an administrative perspective, it’s easier if you submit an application to the CS department, along with any application to other departments.
Q: Can I apply if my background is in engineering (mechanical / civil / aerospace / electrical)?
Yes, please! We have always worked closely with mechanical, civil, and aerospace engineers. You are welcome to either apply to the CS department or any other department! Peter will be able to advise you one way or another. That said, from an administrative perspective, it’s easier if you submit an application to the CS department, along with any application to other departments.
Q: Can I intern at US companies during grad school?
Yes, you absolutely can. If you are a non-US citizen, you can easily obtain a J1 visa. When Peter was a grad student, he could only do a maximum of three internships per his university’s policy. UBC has no such policies. With a J1 visa, you can technically intern as many times as you would like. If there is a good research fit, you can also work for companies during the semester, like many of our colleagues in Toronto. In Canada, you can be employed by any tech company throughout the world. In fact, Canada’s academic system makes it particularly easy to collaborate with US (and really anywhere) companies, producing research with real industry impacts. We are already working with a lot them :)
Q: Can I work for US companies after grad school?
Yes, you absolutely can. Many of our colleagues completed grad school at UBC and now work for US companies on either H1B, O1 or TN visa. We have deep, wide, global industry connections across AI, visual computing, robotics, and manufacturing.
Q: Where can I find more information about grad school in Canada?
Check out Towaki’s article.
Postdoc Positions
If you believe we are a good fit, reach out via email with your CV, top publications, and a 1-2 year research agenda.
I’d love to hear from you if you’re interested in joining! Please drop me an email introducing yourself. Include [Prospective Member] in the subject line so I know you checked out this page!