UNC-PRIMES
UNC PROGRAM FOR RESEARCH IN IMAGE PROCESSING AND MACHINE LEARNING FOR EMERGING SCHOLARS
OUR TEAM
Program Directors & Administration
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Program Director
Professor Guorong Wu, PhD
Dr. Wu is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry with a joint appointment in the Department of Computer Science, Department of Statistics & Operation Research, UNC Neuroscience Center, and Carolina Institute of Developmental Disabilities. Meanwhile, Dr. Wu is also an adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Statistics and Operations Research. Dr. Wu is the director of the Advanced Computational Laboratory (ACMLab). Dr. Wu has been teaching COMP/BME 775 (Image Processing and Analysis), COMP 776 (Computer Vision), and NBIO 750 (Neuroanalytics). In the last three years, Dr. Wu has been closely working with the Summer Reserach Program at NCSSM and supervised more than ten high school students
Program Director
Professor Jasleen Kaur, PhD
Jasleen Kaur is an Associate Professor and the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Computer Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research interests lie in the design and evaluation of networks and operating systems, with a special focus on mesurements, performance analysis, and protocol design. Her recent research efforts have also focused on K-12 Computer Science Education and on providing research experience in data science to high school students. Jasleen is a recipient of a 2020 Google Faculty Award and a 2004 NSF CAREER Award. Jasleen received her B.Tech. in Computer Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, in 1997, where she was also awarded the Motorola Student of the Year Gold Medal. She earned an M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin in 1999 and 2002, respectively. She is a recipient of the J.C.Browne Graduate Fellowship and the M.C.D. Fellowship from the University of Texas at Austin
Outreach Director
Professor Minjeong Kim, PhD
Dr. Kim is an Associate Professor, Head, and Director of the Advanced Research Image Analysis (ARIA) lab at the Computer Science Department, UNC Greensboro. Her research mainly focuses on deep learning method development for human brain connectome and biomedical image analysis. She teaches Digital Image Processing, Advanced Topics in Image Processing, and Deep Learning in Computer Vision. She dedicates her efforts to promoting student research and broadening the participation of underrepresented groups in computing, including National Students & Technology in Academia, Research & Service (STARS), U-RISE (Undergraduate Research training Initiative for Student Enhancement), and REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates).
Associate Director
Professor Derek C. Monroe, PhD
Derek Monroe is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Exercise & Sport Science at UNC Chapel Hill. Leveraging his multidisciplinary training in neuroscience, psychology, and physiology, Dr. Monroe’s current research uses multimodal brain imaging to define novel measures of brain health in populations that are at risk for TBI and associated long-term sequelae (e.g., athletes, warfighters).
Program Coordinator
Yana Xu
Yana Xu is a graduate student in Biostatistics at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, with undergraduate training in Bioinformatics from the University of Washington. Her work lies at the intersection of biostatistics, machine learning, and clinical research, with a focus on brain health, cancer, and dementia. She is interested in using computational and statistical methods to analyze large-scale biomedical data, including clinical, imaging, and molecular data, to better understand disease mechanisms and support clinically relevant research.
Meet PRIMES Team 2026
On-Campus Team
Xiyun Hu
Xiyun is a rising senior major in Computer Science and Statistics at UNC Chapel Hill. His research interests focus on machine learning for medical imaging analysis, large language models, and agentic AI systems for scientific and healthcare applications.
On-Campus Team
Junhong Tong
Junhong interests in machine learning and neuroimaging, especially applying AI techniques to understand the human brain and solve real-world healthcare problems.
On-Campus Team
Yiyao Chen
Yiyao Chen is a rising junior at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in Computer Science and Statistics. Her interests include statistical modeling, machine learning, neuroimaging, and AI agents, especially their applications in neuroscience and brain imaging. She enjoys helping students explore the foundations and real-world applications of artificial intelligence.
On-Campus Team
Yucheng Li
Yucheng is a rising Junior at UNC Chapel Hill, majoring in CS and stats. He likes using computer science methods to understand human brain. He also loves teaching and AI implementation in the biological field.
Digital Team
Yunxi Kong
Yunxi Kong is a graduate student in Economics and Computation at Duke University. His interests include human-AI interaction, multi-agent systems, interactive systems, and computational approaches to learning and communication. His training combines computational modeling, data analysis, and system design. He is especially interested in building AI-enhanced tools that help people understand complex information, including educational, scientific, and biomedical data, through visualization, interaction, and adaptive feedback. Outside of academic work, he enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending time outdoors.
On-Campus Team
Agnes Mu
Agnes is an incoming Rice University student, disciplined athlete, and award-winning graphic designer with a strong track record of leading large-scale youth organizations (HOSA, UNICEF). Adept at balancing rigorous athletic training (17+ hours/week) with high academic achievements (AP Scholar with Distinction) and creative excellence. Recognized for driving community engagement, securing corporate sponsorships, and mobilizing youth for impactful healthcare initiatives.