I am an Assistant Professor at UC Santa Barbara, where I direct the Geometric Intelligence Lab and co-direct both REAL AI for Science and the AI Core of the Bowers Women’s Brain Health Initiative.

My research sits at the intersection of mathematics, artificial intelligence, and neuroscience. In my lab, we study the geometry of intelligence—how brains and machines organize, transform, and adapt data to make sense of the world. By uncovering the mathematical principles behind intelligent systems, we design next-generation AI models that thrive where most fail: on small, noisy, and complex (graphs, shapes) datasets. Our models improve accuracy by up to 66% in challenging settings, making them powerful tools for real-world science, from neuroscience to healthcare.

Through REAL AI for Science, I lead efforts to build AI-powered digital twins of the brain—integrating imaging, cognition, and molecular data to forecast brain health, detect disease early, and support personalized care. With the Bowers Women’s Brain Health Initiative, I focus specifically on women’s brains, building digital twins to model changes across pregnancy, menopause, and aging—helping to close long-standing gaps in women’s health research.

Breakthroughs from my research are regularly featured in the media. I am often quoted as an expert on AI for Science, with my perspectives featured in leading media outlets as part of my role as a Public Voice Fellow with the OpEd Project (mission: changing who writes history).

My work has been recognized by the Hellman Fellowship, the NSF CAREER, the UC Regent’s Junior Faculty Award, and the L’Oréal-Unesco Award for Women in Science.

Find me on: Github, LinkedIn, Twitter: @ninamiolane, Bluesky: @ninamiolane.bsky.social, Google Scholar, ORCID.

Contact: ninamiolane at ucsb.edu.