Zhun Deng 

Hi! I am a tenure-track Assistant Professor at the Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Previously, I was a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University, working with Toniann Pitassi and Richard Zemel. I earned my Ph.D. in Computer Science at Harvard University under the guidance of Cynthia Dwork. During my doctoral studies, I was also very fortunate to work closely with Weijie Su and James Zou. 

My research lies at the frontier of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and statistical learning, with an emphasis on the design, understanding, and reliable deployment of intelligent systems. I combine statistical learning with algorithm design to build practical tools for quantifying uncertainty, managing risk, and adapting to feedback. My broader goal is to enable intelligent systems to respond to changing environments, collaborate effectively with humans, and operate safely and efficiently at scale in complex real-world environments. More recently, I have been excited about applying these methods to biomedical data analysis and embodied AI.

Prospective PhD students: I am not recruiting new PhD students for the 2026–2027 application cycle. Thank you for your interest.