Johns Hopkins names AI pioneer as first data science institute director

Mark Dredze, a Johns Hopkins University computer science professor and pioneer in AI-powered language analysis for public health applications, has been named the inaugural director of the university’s Data Science and AI Institute. His appointment, effective November 1, positions him to lead an interdisciplinary institute that brings together experts across AI, machine learning, and data science to drive research breakthroughs spanning neuroscience, public health, national security, and materials science.

What you should know: Dredze’s selection follows an extensive international search to find a leader for an institute that’s rapidly expanding its faculty and research capabilities.

• The institute recently welcomed 22 new faculty members in August, with expertise ranging from computer vision and medical image analysis to robotics and large language models.
• DSAI now includes more than 150 affiliated faculty members across Johns Hopkins, with plans to add 80 new affiliated faculty to the Whiting School of Engineering and 30 new Bloomberg Distinguished Professors.
• Dredze has been serving as the institute’s interim deputy director and played a critical role in faculty recruitment efforts.

Why this matters: The appointment reinforces Johns Hopkins’ position as a leading destination for AI and data science talent while addressing critical societal challenges through interdisciplinary research.

• “Mark exemplifies the pioneering and interdisciplinary ethos central to the mission of DSAI, pursuing research defined by a deep commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, data-driven discovery, and impactful problem-solving,” wrote JHU President Ron Daniels and Provost Ray Jayawardhana.

Dredze’s research impact: His groundbreaking work has established new fields of data informatics research, particularly in applying AI to public health challenges.

• In 2011, he led one of the first comprehensive studies showing that Twitter data could yield actionable public health information, including forecasting seasonal flu spread across the U.S.
• His 2018 research revealed how foreign actors weaponized health communication around vaccine debates in the United States.
• Recent work has pioneered applications of large language models like ChatGPT in medicine, with a 2023 study demonstrating AI chatbots’ ability to deliver high-quality medical information to patients.
• He has applied AI and machine learning to diverse public health issues including suicide prevention, vaccine hesitancy, HIV, tobacco use, mental health, and gun violence.

Academic credentials: Dredze brings extensive experience across academia and industry to his new role.

• He holds the John C. Malone Professor of Computer Science position and maintains affiliations with several Johns Hopkins centers, including the Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare and the Center for Language and Speech Processing.
• His background includes bachelor’s degrees in computer science and computer engineering from Northwestern University, a master’s in Modern Jewish History from Yeshiva University, and a PhD in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania.
• He has authored or co-authored more than 350 scholarly publications and previously worked as a software engineer and researcher at Microsoft, IBM, and Google.

What he’s saying: Dredze emphasized the transformative potential of his new role in preparing the university for the AI era.

• “I welcome this unique opportunity to transform the university for the age of AI, which necessitates building a strong core as well as partnerships throughout the institution,” he said.
• “We need to develop fundamental methods and explore new applications to meet the critical societal challenges of the future.”