Zhun Deng 

Hi! I am a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to joining UNC, I was a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University, working with Richard Zemel and Toniann Pitassi. I received my Ph.D. in Computer Science from Harvard University under the guidance of Cynthia Dwork. During my doctoral studies, I also had the privilege of collaborating closely with Weijie Su and James Zou.  I earned my bachelor's degree in Mathematics from Chu Kochen Honors College at Zhejiang University.

My research lies at the frontier of artificial intelligence and machine learning, with an emphasis on the design, understanding, and reliable deployment of intelligent systems. I develop principled methods to harness AI capabilities and build the next generation of reliable, adaptive, and collaborative intelligent systems, translating theoretical insights into practical algorithms and tools. My research focuses on two interconnected areas: the foundations of uncertainty quantification and risk control, with applications to large language model alignment and reliable recursive self-improvement; and agentic AI and collaborative intelligence, with an emphasis on multi-agent communication, orchestration, and human-AI collaboration. My recent interests also include 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.