Pingzhao Hu, MSc, PhD

Research summary

Dr. Pingzhao Hu’s research program focuses on developing and applying artificial intelligence (AI, e.g. novel deep learning tools) and large-scale statistical techniques for integrative analysis of multimodal health data (omics data, imaging data, administrative and electronic medical records) for precision medicine.

Dr. Hu’s research group also collaborates closely with local, national and international life science scientists and clinicians for different omics projects.

Current PhD and master of science students' thesis projects in Dr. Hu’s group are in the research areas:

• drug discovery
• medical imaging
• microbiome
• radiogenomics
• rare disease diagnosis using facial photos and phenotypes
• single cell RNA sequencing and omics data integration

Research affiliations

Research groups

Bioinformatics Group in Data Science Platform of George and Faye Centre for Healthcare Innovation

Manitoba Statistical and Health Sciences Collaborating Centre, Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute

Visual and Automated Disease Analytics (VADA) program, NSERC Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) Program

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Clinical and Research Centre

Manitoba Breast Cancer Research Group

Manitoba Epigenetic Network

Temerty Centre for AI Research and Education in Medicine (T-CAIREM), University of Toronto

Dr. Pingzhao Hu is an adjunct professor in bioinformatics and statistical genetics in the department of biochemistry and medical genetics at the University of Manitoba.

Dr. Hu was trained in computer science and applied statistics. His research program builds the bridges between artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning, statistics and multimodal health data (mainly omics data). His research is performed in an independent, multidisciplinary and collaborative team framework where his expertise in AI, statistics and computational biology complements that of his collaborators. Dr. Hu has published more than 120 peer reviewed scientific articles with more than 4,900 citations and H-index 32. 

Dr. Hu supervises graduate students in life sciences (biochemistry and medical genetics), science (department of computer science), engineering (department of electrical and computer engineering) and individual interdisciplinary studies program (life science, computer science, engineering, statistics, math, etc.). Dr. Hu has excellent training records of highly qualified personnel (HQP). His HQP have won many prestigious international awards (such as Charles J. Epstein Trainee Award for Excellence in Human Genetics Research – Semifinalist, Best Oral Presentation Awards) and local awards (President’s Graduate Scholarship in Human Genetics, Manitoba Graduate Scholarship, Women's Health Research Foundation of Canada Graduate Scholarship), published in high impact journals and are employed as either AI/software engineer or data scientists in leading organizations.  

Dr. Hu has outstanding experience in collaborating with basic scientists and clinicians. He was one of the major drivers to establish and develop the first statistical facility for omics data analysis in Canada when he acted as the facility’s manager (2006-2014) in The Centre for Applied Genomics in Toronto. In this position, he consulted for and collaborated with more than 200 national and international basic and clinician scientists.

Dr. Hu is an associate editor of Frontiers in Genetics (section of statistical genetics and methodology) and an associate editor of Annals of Medicine (section of medical genetics and genomics). Dr. Hu is the former chair of Case Studies in Data Analysis Competition of Statistical Society of Canada from 2018 to 2020.