What's so deep about deep learning?

This meetup is co-hosted by the San Diego Machine Learning (https://www.meetup.com/machine-learning-society/events/235235672/) Society and its organier Tristen Tyler Blake (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tristentylerblake). Mr. Blake will be moderating the panel.

The panelists will cover some of the principles, tools, and applications of Neural Networks / Deep Learning in their research and business.

The Panel

Desmond Chik (https://www.linkedin.com/in/desmond-chik-4106a512)

Senior Engineer for Computer vision at GoPro. Desmond holds a Ph.D. in Computer Vision and is part of the Advanced Technology team at GoPro. His role at GoPro involves looking at ways to improve the editing and storytelling experience of GoPro videos using computer vision and machine learning techniques, including deep learning.

Prior to joining GoPro, Desmond was the co-founder and chief scientist of Lumific, a photo startup that leveraged computer vision and machine learning to automatically sort and edit photos stored on mobile devices and in the cloud. Desmond also has a background in computer graphics, having worked in the feature film industry for over 4 years at Animal Logic. He has worked on blockbuster movies such as The Lego Movie, Great Gatsby with a focus on physically based shading and dynamics simulation.

Ping Wang (https://www.linkedin.com/in/hpwang)

Director of Qualcomm Robotics Accelerator powered by Techstars. Founder & Partner at the Ansir Innovation Center. Mr. Wang holds a Ph.D in Neuroscience from UCSD and has researched natural and artificial neural networks. His professional experience includes cutting-edge research into enhancing artificial intelligence, finding cures to neurological disorders, neuro-prosthetics & augmentation, and brain inspired neuro-computing.

Henrik Christensen (https://www.linkedin.com/in/henrikichristensen)

Director of the Contextual Robotics Institute at UCSD. Prior to UC San Diego, he was a Distinguished Professor of Computer Science in the School of Interactive Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He also serves as the director of the Center for Robotics and Intelligent Machines. Dr. Christensen has published more than 250 contributions across robotics, visionand artificial intelligence.

Tristan Webb (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tristanjwebb)

Tristan Webb received his Ph.D. in Complexity Science from the University of Warwick in 2013. His contributions include neural network simulations of brain decision making invoking biologically derived parameters. Machine learning was an important part of his scientific workflow, providing analysis for the computational neuroscience simulations. After moving to San Diego he worked as a postdoc at USCD and later two years in the software industry specializing in Functional Programming. Tristan is a strong believer that Deep Learning is a major growth field, and he works as an independent contractor currently. His next plans include work in cloud-based financial analysis and Deep Learning graphical models.

TBA: Open for suggestions on other panelists. Let me know (skrinak@gmail.com).

Agenda

Our agenda for the evening should be as follows:

7:00 pm - Meeting opens with drinks & networking

7:30pm - Panel session begins

8:30pm - Audience Q&A

9:00pm - Panel session over. Lingering and follow up.

9:30pm - Everyone goes home to research Neural Networks!