Kourosh Modarresi

     At Meta Ads, as Uber TL, my task has been " to examine the entire end-to-end advertising system (recommendations) and to update the system using an state of the art (SOTA) AI models including Gen-AI/Foundation models". My works has led to  some major areas of improvements and fundamental updating leading to high impacts.

   At TrendMicro, as Senior Principal Scientist  ,   I have focused on cybersecurity related problems and their solutions using SOTA AI models. More specifically, I have been working in deploying AI models  in automating the “detection of the cybersecurity threats such as malware, intrusion, APT (Advanced persistent threats) and AA (Adversarial Attacks”). More recently, I  have also been working on different projects in “predicting security threats and vulnerabilities using variety of  machine learning and AI models  and algorithms”. I have developed several new models to  address the unique challenges of cybersecurity related applications. 

   I was head and founder  of AI- Machine Learning at Adobe building the AI team from scratch. At Adobe, I also I worked on multiple  end-to-end projects in deploying AI-ML models for many Adobe products and also for many Adobe Experience Cloud business customers.

 Before joining Adobe, I completed my PhD (CS - SCCM) and MS (Financial Math and SCCM) degrees at Stanford University. AI has been the focus of my works over the last fifteen years. AI revolution is to change all aspects of life in the coming years and I plan to have a lasting impact on this revolution. Data is the centerpiece of the AI phenomenon, since all the information, from the past and present, including the  insights is hidden in the data. Machine learning has the task of providing mathematical tools in decoding the information and insights of the data - - to be used for the final goal of creating the intelligent machine, the AI's destiny. I feel lucky to have been working in this area of my passion. The world of data, AI and ML, is my universe and I try to observe and watch the data, listen to it and live through it to get its insights and use the insights to build intelligent machines. 

    During my graduate studies (MS and PHD) at Stanford, I worked on  few projects from NASA  concentrating on using machine learning to discover patterns and structures (the starting motivation was to discover the structures inside the core of the Sun) where there was little or no data available. To solve these problems, I developed new machine learning models and algorithms expanding our understanding of algorithms and models in data science and machine learning. More specifically, I developed new approaches,  models and algorithms for  regularization of machine learning models.

Areas of Expertise and Interest: Gen-AI, Foundation Models, AI Agents, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Data Science - -  with specific focus on Deep Learning, NLP, Computer Vision.

Most  specifically (applications), recently, I have been working on the area of deploying and tuning  Foundation  and Gen-AI  models (including using  AI Agents)  for specific applications such as Recommendation Systems (RecSys). I also work on other fascinating problems like "Pattern Recognition of Human Behavior", "Comprehensive and Complete View of User Experience", "Cybersecurity", "Digital Transformation",  "Personalization", "Optimization of User Digital Experience", Recommender Systems" and "Theory of AI".

Technical Skills (a sample): 

Technical Skills: Foundation Models, LLM, Gen-AI, AI Agents, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Data Science -- including many areas and applications such as Natural Language Processing (NLP), Video, Computer Vision (CV), Deep Learning, Cybersecurity, Digital Security, Recommendation Systems, Data Monetization, Data Ecosystem, Financial Modeling, Time series Analysis, A/B testing, Customer Lifetime Value, Data Cleansing and Curation, Clustering and Segmentation Analysis, KPI, Feature Learning, and Predictive Modeling, Big Data, Data Analytics

Software Skills: Python (Pandas, Scikit-learn, NumPy, …), AWS,  SQL, C, C++, …

Business Skills: Leadership, Management, Business Strategy, Team Leadership and Management, Digital Transformation, Product Development, Analytics, Digital Marketing, Research, Digital Strategy

EDUCATION:

Ph.D., CS-SCCM (Scientific Computing and Computational Mathematics), Stanford University

       Ph.D. Thesis: A Local Regularization Method Using Multiple Regularization Levels

M.S., Financial Mathematics , Stanford University

M.S., CS-SCCM (Scientific Computing and Computational Mathematics), Stanford University

MASc, BS (Mechanical Engineering), Dalhousie University

Experience:

• Meta: 2022 - present: Uber TL

The complete review of Meta ads end-to-end delivery system and updating it with Gen-AI, Foundation and other SOTA AI models.

• Trend Micro: 2020-2022: Senior Principal Scientist

Using SOTA AI models in Cybersecurity application such as detection of APT, security breach, and  malware.

• Adobe: 2012-2020: Head and founder of AI-ML team

Some of my job functions and roles at Adobe:

• Founding and head  of  Adobe AI-Machine Learning team

• Functioning as the go-to individuals for scientists, researchers, product managers, program managers, customers and executives for ai-ml and data science related problems

• Team leadership , including cross functional team leadership

• Connecting the real-world problems, coming from other teams or customers, to the team of researchers (AI-ML and data science researchers)

• Providing vision and direction for many teams and individuals

• Acting as a leading researcher in AI-Machine Learning inside and outside adobe

• Working closely with customers (internal BUs and external customers) to listen and understand their problems, initiating projects based on those needs and problems and based on priorities of our company

• Creating highly collaborative work echo-environment cross different teams of scientists, engineers, product managers and executive leaders

• Connecting researchers to the real-world problems of our internal teams and of our customers

• Helping many teams getting actionable insights from their data in making business impacts for the teams

• Recruiting, building and managing highly talented and successful AI-ML team members

• Mentoring many individuals and teams, raising their profiles in the community

• Working as member of adobe PRC (patent review committee)

• Working hands-on individually and/or as team leader on many projects (please look at the project section)

• Working on multiple projects (please look at the project section) simultaneously, all the way starting from the priorities to research, prototyping, technology transfer and product

• Working as Adobe ambassador and publicizing Adobe’s works and accomplishments in multiple conferences and meetings

• Leading, managing and mentoring teams of researchers, product managers and engineers for 17 years inside industry and university

• Collaborating with many distinguished university faculty members

Start-up :2005-Present

Working on few startup ideas.

Software Skills: Python (Scikit Learn, Scipy), TensorFlow,  SQL,  Java, C, C++, R, Matlab, ...

Contact, you could reach me through Linkedin