Nir Friedman
Encyclopedia
Nir Friedman is an Israeli Professor
of Computer Science
and Biology
at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
His research combines Machine Learning
and Statistical Learning with Systems Biology
, specifically in the fields of Gene Regulation, Transcription
and Chromatin
.
(1992). In 1997, he completed his Ph.D. at Stanford under the supervision of Joseph Halpern
, in the field of Artificial Intelligence
.
After some postdoctoral work at the University of California, Berkeley
, he accepted a faculty position at the School of Computer Science, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
.
His highly-cited research includes work on Bayesian network classifiers (with Danny Geiger and Moises Goldszmidt), Bayesian Structural EM, and the use of Bayesian
methods to analyzing gene expression
data (with Aviv Regev
, Dana Peer, Eran Segal
, Daphne Koller
and David Botstein). More recent works focus on Probabilistic Graphical Models
, reconstructing Regulatory Networks
, Genetic Interactions, and the role of Chromatin
in Transcriptional Regulation (with Oliver Rando)
In 2009, Friedman and Koller
published a textbook on Probabilistic Graphical Models
. Later that year, he joined the Institute of Life Sciences, and opened an experimental lab where he uses advanced robotic tools to study transcriptional regulation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae
.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Computer Science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
and Biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
His research combines Machine Learning
Machine learning
Machine learning, a branch of artificial intelligence, is a scientific discipline concerned with the design and development of algorithms that allow computers to evolve behaviors based on empirical data, such as from sensor data or databases...
and Statistical Learning with Systems Biology
Systems biology
Systems biology is a term used to describe a number of trends in bioscience research, and a movement which draws on those trends. Proponents describe systems biology as a biology-based inter-disciplinary study field that focuses on complex interactions in biological systems, claiming that it uses...
, specifically in the fields of Gene Regulation, Transcription
Transcription
Transcription may refer to:*Transcription , a business which converts speech into a written or electronic text document*Transcription , software which helps convert speech into text transcript...
and Chromatin
Chromatin
Chromatin is the combination of DNA and proteins that make up the contents of the nucleus of a cell. The primary functions of chromatin are; to package DNA into a smaller volume to fit in the cell, to strengthen the DNA to allow mitosis and meiosis and prevent DNA damage, and to control gene...
.
Education and Research
Friedman earned his B.Sc degree from Tel-Aviv University (1987) and his M.Sc from the Weizmann Institute of ScienceWeizmann Institute of Science
The Weizmann Institute of Science , known as Machon Weizmann, is a university and research institute in Rehovot, Israel. It differs from other Israeli universities in that it offers only graduate and post-graduate studies in the sciences....
(1992). In 1997, he completed his Ph.D. at Stanford under the supervision of Joseph Halpern
Joseph Halpern
Joseph Yehuda Halpern is a professor of computer science at Cornell University. Most of his research is on reasoning about knowledge and uncertainty....
, in the field of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
.
After some postdoctoral work at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, he accepted a faculty position at the School of Computer Science, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
.
His highly-cited research includes work on Bayesian network classifiers (with Danny Geiger and Moises Goldszmidt), Bayesian Structural EM, and the use of Bayesian
Bayesian network
A Bayesian network, Bayes network, belief network or directed acyclic graphical model is a probabilistic graphical model that represents a set of random variables and their conditional dependencies via a directed acyclic graph . For example, a Bayesian network could represent the probabilistic...
methods to analyzing gene expression
Gene expression
Gene expression is the process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product. These products are often proteins, but in non-protein coding genes such as ribosomal RNA , transfer RNA or small nuclear RNA genes, the product is a functional RNA...
data (with Aviv Regev
Aviv Regev
Aviv Regev is a computational biologist at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, an assistant professor in the department of biology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an Early Career Scientist at Howard Hughes Medical Institute....
, Dana Peer, Eran Segal
Eran Segal
Eran Segal is a computational biologist at the Weizmann Institute of Science. He works on developing quantitative models for all levels of gene regulation, including transcription, chromatin, and translation....
, Daphne Koller
Daphne Koller
Daphne Koller is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Stanford University and a MacArthur Fellowship recipient. Her general research area is artificial intelligence and its applications in the biomedical sciences...
and David Botstein). More recent works focus on Probabilistic Graphical Models
Graphical model
A graphical model is a probabilistic model for which a graph denotes the conditional independence structure between random variables. They are commonly used in probability theory, statistics—particularly Bayesian statistics—and machine learning....
, reconstructing Regulatory Networks
Gene regulatory network
A gene regulatory network or genetic regulatory network is a collection of DNA segments in a cell whichinteract with each other indirectly and with other substances in the cell, thereby governing the rates at which genes in the network are transcribed into mRNA.In general, each mRNA molecule goes...
, Genetic Interactions, and the role of Chromatin
Chromatin
Chromatin is the combination of DNA and proteins that make up the contents of the nucleus of a cell. The primary functions of chromatin are; to package DNA into a smaller volume to fit in the cell, to strengthen the DNA to allow mitosis and meiosis and prevent DNA damage, and to control gene...
in Transcriptional Regulation (with Oliver Rando)
In 2009, Friedman and Koller
Daphne Koller
Daphne Koller is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Stanford University and a MacArthur Fellowship recipient. Her general research area is artificial intelligence and its applications in the biomedical sciences...
published a textbook on Probabilistic Graphical Models
Graphical model
A graphical model is a probabilistic model for which a graph denotes the conditional independence structure between random variables. They are commonly used in probability theory, statistics—particularly Bayesian statistics—and machine learning....
. Later that year, he joined the Institute of Life Sciences, and opened an experimental lab where he uses advanced robotic tools to study transcriptional regulation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a species of yeast. It is perhaps the most useful yeast, having been instrumental to baking and brewing since ancient times. It is believed that it was originally isolated from the skin of grapes...
.