鈥淕aining broad technical skills in artificial intelligence and data science isn鈥檛 actually that challenging,鈥 recognized Jaskirat Bhatia. 鈥淵ou can find countless tutorials on Youtube that will teach you the basics. But they can鈥檛 tell you which tools to apply to which problems. They can鈥檛 guide your learning in any way.鈥 That鈥檚 where the Master of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (MDSAI) comes in.聽
During a co-op term in the Department of Chemistry, Bhatia relied on the skills and knowledge he gained from the MDSAI program to help create a model for repurposing an existing drug to treat COVID-19. He used machine learning to identify tens of thousands of properties that identify which types of molecules will bind to which types of proteins. 鈥淚f you can identify a molecule that binds to the main of protein of COVID-19, you can effectively disable the virus,鈥 he explained. His supervisor is preparing to publish a research paper that incorporates Bhatia鈥檚 research.聽
Recently, Bhatia鈥檚 enthusiasm for leveraging AI and machine learning to solve urgent problems led to the creation of a new company: JEmotions. Together with a business partner he met at a virtual industry conference, Bhatia is developing a unique AI-based app to gauge stress levels and connect users to mental health resources. 鈥淲e鈥檙e still in the prototype stage, but I鈥檓 excited about our potential for growth in the next few years,鈥 said Bhatia. 鈥淭hanks to the MDSAI program, I had all the knowledge I needed to take this chance.鈥
Read more about聽 Bhatia's story.