Franklin researcher Rongjie (RJ) Liu has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award to advance artificial intelligence tools for understanding neurological disease.

The NSF CAREER Award is among the most competitive honors for early-career researchers in the United States, recognizing faculty who demonstrate strong potential as both researchers and educators. At the University of Georgia’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, assistant professor Rongjie (RJ) Liu is being recognized for work that sits at the intersection of statistics, artificial intelligence, and biomedical science.

Liu’s project focuses on developing advanced AI systems that integrate multiple forms of biomedical data into a single framework to better understand and monitor neurological disease progression. Conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease are complex and evolve over time, yet clinical research often examines brain imaging, cognitive assessments, and genetic information separately. This separation can limit insight into how disease mechanisms interact.

The goal of Liu’s work is to bridge those gaps by building models that combine these diverse data sources into a more unified picture of human health. The resulting systems are designed to improve prediction of disease progression at the individual level, supporting more personalized approaches to monitoring and care.

“No single method or data modality is sufficient to fundamentally understand complex diseases,” Liu said. “By combining statistics and AI, we can systematically integrate data to interpret the mechanisms and make more informed decisions about care.”

“This award reflects the kind of collaborative, multidisciplinary research that defines Franklin,” said Anna Stenport, dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. “RJ Liu’s work brings together statistics, artificial intelligence, and biomedical science in ways that advance health-related inquiry while creating new opportunities for graduate education and multidisciplinary research training.”

Franklin College Associate Dean for Research, Scholarship, and Partnerships Marshall Shepherd also emphasized the significance of the recognition. “The NSF CAREER Award is widely considered the premier honor for early-career faculty,” he said. “Professor Liu’s work demonstrates how Franklin researchers are bringing together expertise across disciplines to advance discovery and address challenges that affect society.”

The project uses machine learning and statistical modeling to detect patterns across biological systems over time. It also involves developing new AI architectures capable of integrating structured data, such as genetic profiles, with unstructured information like clinical notes and medical imaging. A key aim is not only predictive accuracy, but interpretability, so that clinicians can understand and apply the model’s outputs in real-world settings.

Beyond research, the CAREER Award supports an education and outreach agenda. Liu’s project will train undergraduate and graduate students in biomedical AI, statistical modeling, and causal inference. It will also expand access through summer coding camps, data science workshops for high school students, and tutorials at national conferences.

All software and models developed through the project will be released as open-source tools, with the goal of increasing transparency and enabling broader use across the research and clinical communities.

Through this work, Liu aims to strengthen interdisciplinary training, expand access to data science education, and advance how artificial intelligence can be applied to improve understanding and treatment of neurological disease.

The NSF CAREER Award is known for supporting researchers who integrate research and education in ways that have lasting impact across their fields and beyond.