The MIT-Pillar AI Collective has selected Alexander Andonian, Daniel Magley, and Madhumitha Ravichandra as its three inaugural fellows for the fall 2023 semester. All are on the cusp of concluding a master’s or PhD program and will aid in conducting research in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and data science, backed by the program.
The Collective, established in 2022 by MIT’s School of Engineering and Pillar VC, provides support to faculty, postdocs, and students carrying out pioneering research in the mentioned fields. Primarily, its objective stretches towards commercializing this research. The program gains financial assistance from a gift rendered by Pillar VC and is managed by the MIT Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation.
Alexander Andonian, an SM ’21 and current PhD learner in electrical engineering and computer science, maintains a pronounced interest in AI. His focus rests on creating a generalist, multifaceted AI scientist that can simulate the behavior of a human researcher. Simultaneously, it can distill and propagate its results for human understanding. Apart from research, Andonian manages his startup named Reelize and also serves as a founding AI researcher at Poly AI, a startup involved in building AI design tools.
Daniel Magley is headed towards a PhD from the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology. His interest lies in making sound mental and physical health a reality for everyone. His novel research places its concentration on developing a capsule for swallowed wireless thermal imaging that can assist in monitoring and treating inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease. His innovative thermal imaging capsule has finished animal studies and proceeds towards human trials. After these trials, Magley will start working on a multi-site project aimed at extending the reach of the device to clinics nationwide.
Madhumitha Ravichandra, a PhD candidate engrossed in the improvement of heat transfer and surface engineering techniques, intends to enhance the performance of nuclear energy systems while minimizing their environmental hazards. She emphasizes the development of radiation-hardened (rad-hard) sensors capable of enduring and functioning in intense radiation conditions. Her research could shift the approach of rad-hard sensor development, delivering safety, efficiency, and technological advancement to nuclear and space applications. Ravichandran obtained her BTech in mechanical engineering from SASTRA University, India.
