Zilles studies how computers learn

Posted: September 25, 2013 3:20 p.m.

Advertising on your computer screen that’s aimed directly at your particular interests is an example of what’s called “machine learning.”

But computers need to know just what to look for, so they can send targeted messages. Dr. Sandra Zilles in the Department of Computer Science studies how machines learn from particularly well-chosen data, rather than requiring a large quantity of potentially expensive data. This increases efficiency and lowers costs. Ultimately, her research will advance our understanding of how we can make computers learn, in order for them to become intelligent assistants to people.

Dr. Zilles is a Canada Research Chair in Computational Learning Theory.

“It is a great opportunity for me to pursue research questions beyond what I would normally be able to do, because the additional funding as well as the teaching relief allow me to start synergetic collaborations with researchers at other universities, as well as to fund postdocs whose expertise is different from mine,” says Zilles.

Zilles grew up in Germany and obtained a degree equivalent to a combination of BSc and MSc in Mathematics and then a PhD in Computer Science at the University of Kaiserslautern. She was Senior Researcher for three years at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, Knowledge Management Department. She was later a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Alberta before joining the University of Regina in 2009.

“It is a small university, and thus it was particularly easy for me to get to know other professors in related fields,” she says.

When she’s not in the classroom or lab, Zilles enjoys hiking, reading, running or spending time with her two-year-old daughter, Frida.

The other Canada Research Chairs at the University of Regina are Christine Chan, Shadia Drury, Gordon Huang, Peter Leavitt, Gregory Marchildon, Charity Marsh, Joseph Piwowar, Christopher Somers and Chris Yost.