Professor Nie is a global expert in computational and systems biology. His research focuses on using mathematics, computing, and artificial intelligence methods to model complex biological systems and analyze large biological datasets. Professor Nie is Director of the National Science Foundation-Simons Foundation Center for Multiscale Cell Fate Research, which is one of four national centers on the mathematics of complex biological systems. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physical Society, the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, and the American Mathematical Society.

Since joining UC Irvine 25 years ago, Professor Nie has been a leader in interdisciplinary research, training, and inclusive excellence for the campus. He has collaborated on joint publications with more than 20 faculty members, spanning five different schools. Professor Nie helped establish and obtain training grants for UCI’s interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Mathematical, Computational, and Systems Biology. He also established a summer research program that has helped many high school students win national awards. Throughout his career, Professor Nie has mentored a range of early-career researchers, including many from underrepresented groups. Professor Nie has mentored 54 Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows, and he has another 14 Ph.D. students and postdocs currently working in his lab.