Marina Kogan develops AI systems to extract insights from massive social media datasets, helping officials respond to natural disasters and combating health misinformation. “Applying out-of-the-box AI algorithms without accounting for social context produces biased results, rarely useful to stakeholders,” she said. “I develop AI-based approaches for finding actionable insights in the data deluge.” Kogan co-advises postdoctoral fellow Di Wang, whose project uses natural language processing and computer vision to guide disaster recovery. As a faculty fellow, Kogan will work with Huntsman Cancer Institute colleagues to analyze misconceptions about genetic cancer risk in online forums and evaluate school sun-safety policies aimed at preventing skin cancer. She’ll also build collaborations in mental health, where she can apply essential expertise in developing safe systems that maintain data privacy.
