Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute

Transforming passive wearable data into a “smoke alarm” for opioid misuse risk. Researchers from SCIDS at University of California San Diego, including Prof. Tauhidur Rahman and PhD student Yunfei Luo, show how nonlinear dynamics of inferred stress, pain, and craving from wearable signals—bridging data science, AI, and behavioral health—can form the foundation of a personalized, always-on opioid misuse risk score, paving the way toward data-driven digital therapeutics.

https://datascience.ucsd.edu/before-crisis-strikes-smartwatch-tracks-triggers-for-opioid-misuse/

Several students from the UC San Diego TritonAI Team participated in the Autonomous Karting Series, taking first place in an autonomous go-kart competition of 10 teams. Held at Purdue University’s Grand Prix Track, the challenge brought together students from across the globe to compete in a series of events aimed at advancing technology for the commercialization of fully autonomous vehicles and the development of advanced driver-assistance systems to enhance safety and performance.

The TritonAI team, which included students from UC San Diego School of Computing, Information, and Data Sciences (SCIDS) Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute (HDSI) and the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, was mentored by Jack Silberman, who is a lecturer in the UCSD MAE Department, UC San Diego Electrical and Computer Engineering and HDSI. The racing project was a part of the HDSI DSC190 Capstone class, which took place in Spring 2025.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/X2WC50WNJHv

Researchers with the UC San Diego and the Fred Hutch Cancer Center have been working on web-based tools that help individuals visualize how specific coding libraries and data science concepts work in real time. The programs — coined Pandas Tutor and Tidy Data Tutor — illustrate the transformation of data from input to output for programming languages such as Python, R and SQL.

“Data science instructors often spend lots of time pixel-pushing slideshow diagrams to explain dataframe operations to beginners,” said Sam Lau, an assistant teaching professor at UC San Diego School of Computing, Information, and Data Sciences’ Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute. “To help overcome this challenge, we created a set of freely available web-based tools that visualize data table transformations step by step.”
Sean Kross, a staff scientist at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center, said that the team envisioned Pandas Tutor and Tidy Data Tutor as tools to address the difficulty in understanding complex individual code statements and distinguishing between data science tools.

Learn more: https://datascience.ucsd.edu/visualizing-code-web-based-tools-illuminate-data-science-topics-for-beginners/

Mathematicians with UC San Diego’s Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute (HDSI) have unveiled a novel approach that could transform how scientists analyze and understand complex data sets across multiple fields.

Read the full story here: https://ow.ly/4Kos50W2PYS

Image by Envato Elements.

Discovery of physical modifications across brain regions holds important clues for possible new therapies for brain disorders.

https://ow.ly/hKEj50VWJzk

A team of researchers led by Mikhail Belkin, a professor at UC San Diego's Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, has made a significant breakthrough in developing a method for more precise steering and modification of large language models, the powerful AI systems behind tools like Google Gemini and OpenAI ChatGPT. This breakthrough could lead to safer, more reliable, and more adaptable AI.

https://ow.ly/JB3950VS2t2

Join Warren College and HDSI for a fire-side chat with UC San Diego Warren College alumn, Dj Patil ('96): Investor, Entrepreneur, Public Policy, and the first U.S. Chief Data Scientist.

Register here: https://forms.gle/b5hNHaTuFSMYsSnK9

Our alumni are leading innovation in data science — and it all started at HDSI.

This Triton Giving Day, we’re building a legacy together through the Alumni Connection Legacy Fund.

Your gift supports mentorship, community-building, and real-world opportunities for current students. Help us empower the next wave of HDSI grads.

Give now and help us build a legacy of connection: https://ow.ly/vFtw50VKIyC

Big Goals + Flexible Online Learning = 🔥

The online Master of Data Science at UC San Diego is built for you -- the working professional who wants a flexible and rigorous graduate program rooted in real-world impact. Level up without putting life on pause.

There are just a few weeks left (DEADLINE MAY 7TH) to get your application in to start in Fall 2025. Learn more and apply now!
https://ow.ly/VGqV50VHt4y

Leadership, kindness, and a passion for data define Will Earley—and that's exactly why he's nominated for the 2025 HDSI Alumni of the Year Award.

From building connections during his time in the MDS program to guiding current students and alumni in their own journeys, Will continuously invests in the HDSI community. As a Senior Data Scientist at Homebase, he's using data science to tackle homelessness head-on.

Thank you, Will, for embodying what it truly means to be an outstanding HDSI alum!

Meet all our remarkable nominees here: https://datascience.ucsd.edu/alumni-relations/

How can video games like Ace Attorney be used to evaluate popular AI models like GPT-4.1 and Llama-4 Maverick's ability to reason and solve complex problems?

Researchers at the Hao AI Lab aim to find out.
https://x.com/haoailab/status/1912231343372812508

📸 By Capcom France, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=161759329