Hi, my name is Ziye Ma (马梓业), and I’m currently an assistant professor in the CS department at City Universtiy of Hong Kong. I am especially grateful to receive the honorary title of presidential assistant professor. I’m also known as Gaven, so feel free to call me whichever way you prefer. I obtained my Ph.D. from the EECS department of UC Berkeley, supervised by Somayeh Sojoudi. Prior to that, I studied Engineering Science at the University of Toronto and did research at STARS lab. The majority of my early life was spent jumping back and forth between Beijing and Toronto, both of which places I call home.

Open Positions

Our lab has multiple fully-funded PhD, research assistant and post-doc positions open. I am looking forward to invite people who are passionate about ML/AI theory to join my team and do meaningful research together. Please refer to this page for more detailed information.

Research Interest

My research aims to develop explainable and efficient machine learning systems, emphasizing the exploration of new theoretical tools and perspectives. These efforts are directed towards demystifying various phenomena in modern machine learning. Mathematically, my work predominantly addresses non-convex optimization problems, striving for improved solutions with better guarantees. This involves a deep dive into the impacts of uncertainty, parameterization, and algorithms on these problems.

During my PhD, I concentrated on delineating the conditions under which low-rank matrix recovery problems can be reliably solved. Additionally, I have engaged in projects aimed at certifying the robustness of neural networks, contributing to safer and more reliable AI applications.

For any inquiries, concerns, or suggestions regarding my research, please do not hesitate to contact me via email. I am committed to engaging in fruitful discussions and am always open to feedback.

Fun Facts

I enjoy photography, watching Anime, and experiencing a city by walking around. Photo credits to my Mom, the shot was taken near 观妙亭 of 景山公园 in May of 2021, and in the background is the breathtaking Forbidden City.