School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Assistant Professor Amirali Aghazadeh and Ph.D. student Daniel Saeedi have developed AstroAgents, an AI system that analyzes mass spectrometry data — detailed chemical compositions from meteorites and Earth soil samples — to generate novel hypotheses about the origins of life on the planet.
What sets AstroAgents apart is its use of agentic AI. Unlike traditional AI systems that perform fixed tasks, this agentic system is designed to pursue a scientific goal. It draws from astrobiology literature, interprets complex data, and proposes original ideas that researchers can investigate further.
Their paper, recently featured in the journal Nature, is opening new possibilities for how scientists explore questions that have remained unanswered for decades.
In a special Q&A, Aghazadeh and Saeedi explain how AstroAgents analyzes space chemistry, what it’s revealing about the possible origins of life on Earth, and what they hope to explore next.
]]>Ghassan AlRegib will serve as associate director for Research and Education, seeking large-scale funding opportunities, creating upskilling workshops, coordinating efforts with relevant student groups, and fostering thought leadership in areas relevant to IDEaS’ mission: data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and high-performance computing.
AlRegib is the John and Marilu McCarty Chair in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. His group, the Omni Lab for Intelligent Visual Engineering and Science (OLIVES), conducts machine learning research aimed at shifting learning systems from data-centric to human-centric, with an emphasis on robustness, uncertainty, human-AI interaction, and explainability. His team’s research is applied to vision, subsurface imaging, autonomous systems, healthcare intelligence, and education.
Vijay Ganesh has been appointed associate director for Research, after serving in this role on an interim basis since 2025. He will support the development of new strategic research initiatives, work closely with faculty, research staff, and industry partners to create and strengthen interdisciplinary teams, and help IDEaS seek large-scale funding opportunities.
Ganesh is a professor of computer science, and he served as co-director of the AI Institute at the University of Waterloo before moving to Georgia Tech in 2023. He is a co-founder and a steering committee member of the Centre for Mathematical AI at the Fields Institute and an AI Fellow at the Balsillie School of International Affairs.
“I’m delighted that Vijay Ganesh has agreed to continue in the role of associate director of Research; his expertise in AI and formal verification methods has been central to our formulation of new research initiatives,” said Sherrill. “I’m also thrilled that Ghassan AlRegib is joining our leadership team. He is a longtime key IDEaS faculty member, and he has led multiple centers at Georgia Tech. His recent experience hosting a planning grant for his Accessible Healthcare Through AI-Augmented Decisions perfectly positions him to help lead IDEaS’ AI for Health initiative, and his experience in developing AI courses and educational tools makes him the right person to lead our AI upskilling workshops.”
“I am thrilled to join IDEaS,” AlRegib said. “Data science, machine learning, and AI are no longer specialized disciplines; they are foundational tools on which nearly every research enterprise on campus depends. IDEaS' greatest value is not to be the place where AI happens, but to be the connective tissue that makes AI impactful and accessible for everyone else. This is the kind of work I care deeply about, helping connect faculty curiosity with collaborative teams, emerging methods with usable skills, and student interest with real AI capability. The best measure of our success will be what every other unit at Georgia Tech is able to accomplish because IDEaS exists.”
"I am delighted and honored to be reappointed as IDEaS' associate director for Research. AI is a paradigm-shifting technology that is transforming research across every discipline, and IDEaS is at the forefront of enabling that transformation at Georgia Tech,” Ganesh said. “My vision for this role centers on advancing the research on campus in both the foundations of AI and its applications to mathematics, science, and engineering. To that end, I look forward to shaping strategic research initiatives, partnering with faculty across campus to pursue large-scale funding opportunities, and organizing timely workshops and seminars that bring our community together. It is a privilege to continue this work.
-Christa M. Ernst | Research Communication Manager