Data Science Institute

Ahsan Ashraf

Assistant Professor of the Practice of Data Science, Masters Program Director of Industry Engagement

Biography

I am an Assistant Professor of the Practice of Data Science and the Director of Industry and Research Engagement at the Data Science Institute. I develop and apply machine learning and statistical methodologies/tools to tackle modern data science problems, build data products, and enable data-driven/informed decision making.

Prior to Brown, I was the Sr. Data Science Manager at Pinterest leading a team of data scientists working on recommendation systems and search. In addition I was also an Adjunct Faculty at UC Berkley's School of Information teaching the core curriculum for the MiDS (Masters in Data Science) program. 

My research background is in complex systems and condensed matter physics. I worked at Brookhaven National Lab on the development of novel sustainable energy technologies. More details on my PhD research can be found here.

My current interests are in recommendation systems and search, algorithmic bias and fairness in online recommender systems, trust and safety in the context of online user generated content, and the impact of generative AI on decision-making systems.