Computer science education deals with the teaching and learning of computer science and computational thinking. Topics of particular interest to our faculty include collaborative learning in virtual environments and ways to broaden participation in computing. In Dr. Greg Johnson’s Ph.D. dissertation, he used data mining and machine learning to perform research on student success predictors. He is currently applying these techniques to discover the learning biases of first-generation and underrepresented groups in undergraduate computer science populations.

Human-centric computing focuses on computer systems that mimic or augment the capabilities of humans. In our department, there are three key research areas:

Artificial intelligence involves the creation of machines that can demonstrate intelligence, often by mimicking cognitive functions such as learning and problem solving.

Computer vision is an interdisciplinary field that deals with extracting information from a digital image or video and arriving at an understanding of what is being seen, much as a human would.

Digital image processing is use of a computer to process images through the application of algorithms. Common processing tasks include classification, feature extraction, and pattern recognition. Several of our faculty members belong to the Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS) and have particular expertise in biomedical imaging processing.

Other areas currently being investigated by our faculty include computer gaming, computer graphics, human-computer interaction, mobile health and natural language processing.

A key element of our department’s research program is its Interdisciplinary nature. We collaborate with many departments in the College of Arts & Sciences as well as other colleges across the university.

Bioinformatics and computational biology has been the centerpiece of our Interdisciplinary research efforts for the last two decades. Our bioinformatics faculty members have won many significant grants and produced a large number of Ph.D. graduates. Faculty from our department have helped organize the International Symposium on Bioinformatics Research and Applications (ISBRA) since 2005.

More recently, astroinformatics has emerged as a key area of research for our department. Dr. Rafal Angryk is a founding director of Georgia State’s Data Mining Lab (DMLab), which specializes in the analysis of solar data. Several other CS faculty members also belong to this lab. Dr. Angryk was one of a group of experts who visited the White House in 2015 to discuss space weather events.

Neuroinformatics is another recent area of emphasis. Four CS faculty members belong to the Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), which develops tools for analyzing brain images and other data in order to promote brain health and diagnose disease. In addition, more than a dozen CS faculty members serve as associate faculty in the Neuroscience Institute, which explores the development, structure and function of the nervous system.

Health and disaster informatics is the department’s newest Interdisciplinary research program. The Center for Disaster Informatics and Computational Epidemiology (DICE) develops computational methodologies to facilitate research in public health, disaster mitigation, and response planning. Several CS faculty members belong to DICE, which also draws its membership from geosciences and a variety of other disciplines.

Additional interdisciplinary research areas in which our faculty are involved include computational chemistry, computational epidemiology, geoinformatics, and helioinformatics.

A number of computer science faculty members are engaged in research related to cybersecurity and data privacy. Cybersecurity includes protecting computer systems and data from damage, unauthorized use, and disruption of services. Data privacy involves allowing the controlled use of personal data while protecting an individual's privacy preferences and personally identifiable information.

In addition to performing general research on cybersecurity and data privacy, our faculty have a particular interest in cryptography, intelligent threat detection and response, Internet of things (IoT) security, machine learning on decentralized private datasets and network security and privacy.

Computer science faculty are deeply involved in two interdisciplinary Georgia State cybersecurity efforts. One is a center known as INSPIRE (INformation Security and Privacy: Interdisciplinary Research and Education), which is led by CS professor Daniel Takabi. The other is the Evidence-Based Cybersecurity Research Group, a partnership involving the College of Arts & Sciences, the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, and the J. Mack Robinson College of Business.

Within the area of hardware and software systems, our faculty has a particular interest in the Internet of things (IoT), referring to physical objects that have sensors and software and are capable of connecting to other devices via the Internet. A related area that is also of great interest is cyber-physical systems, in which computer-based algorithms are used to monitor or control physical devices.

Modeling and simulation is a long-standing research area in our department, anchored by Dr. Xiaolin Hu’s Systems Integrated Modeling and Simulation (SIMS) Lab. Known for its work on the use of drones in wildfire management, the SIMS Lab develops modeling and simulation solutions for problems in a variety of areas, including ecological science, social science and public health.

Our department has considerable expertise in networking, including mobile networks and wireless networks. Other research in the area of hardware and software systems includes edge computing, mobile and robotic systems, signal processing and social networks.

Theoretical research in the Department of Computer Science centers on algorithm design and analysis, with applications to such fields as bioinformatics, databases, mobile computing, networks, parallel and distributed systems and social media.

Work in this area is anchored by Distinguished University Professor Alex Zelikovsky and assistant professor Pavel Skums, a recent winner of a prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER award. Their work often involves applying graph theory and creating algorithms to tackle problems in computational biology and bioinformatics.