I am a Ph.D. student working on the theory of modern machine learning at the IDEAS Center of the University of Pennsylvania advised by Prof. Hamed Hassani. Previously, I obtained my M.A. in Statistics and Data Science from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and my B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology (with highest distinctions). Here you can find my CV.

Research Interests

My interest is in Deep Learning {Theory, Optimization, Phenomenology}, Random Matrix Theory, High-Dimensional Statistics, Information Theory, and Quantitative Finance. My work addresses several questions:

• How do neural networks learn nonlinear features using SGD? [ICML 2024]
• How can we improve SGD to build deep learning optimizers that learn better features? [ICML 2025]
• What mechanisms enable Weak-to-Strong generalization? [NeurIPS 2025]
• When does the Agreement-on-the-Line phenomenon actually happen? [ICML 2023]
• How does correlations between samples affect the double descent curve? [L4DC 2025]
• How does an element-wise transform affect the spectrum of a spiked random matrix? [ArXiv]
• The Information-Theoretic nature of excess risk. [IEEE Trans. Info. Theory] [ICML 2021]

A full publication list can be found here. My research is supported by NSF TILOS and a gift from Amazon AWS AI.

Work Experiences

• Quantitative Research Intern, Point72 (Cubist Systematic Strategies), Summer 2025.
  • Cubist Central Machine Learning Team (working with Dr. Pusheng Zhang)
• Summer Intern, Digikala, Summer 2019.
  • Data Science Team (working with Dr. Mir-Omid Haji-Mirsadeghi)

Other Interests

Philosophy of Probability & Statistics, History of Probabilistic Ideas, Causality, Financial Markets, Asset Pricing Models, Quantitative Portfolio Management, 13th-15th Century Persian Poetry, Contemporary History, and Politics.

I could fill Volumes with Descriptions of Temples and Palaces, Paintings, Sculptures, Tapestry, Porcelaine, &c. &c. &c. — if I could have time. But I could not do this without neglecting my duty. The Science of Government it is my Duty to study, more than all other Studies Sciences: the Art of Legislation and Administration and Negotiation, ought to take Place, indeed to exclude in a manner all other Arts. I must study Politicks and War that my sons may have liberty to study Painting and Poetry Mathematicks and Philosophy. My sons ought to study Mathematicks and Philosophy, Geography, natural History, Naval Architecture, navigation, Commerce and Agriculture, in order to give their Children a right to study Painting, Poetry, Musick, Architecture, Statuary, Tapestry and Porcelaine.

John Adams, May 12th, 1780.