Welcome to my homepage!

I work on the mathematical foundations of machine learning with the goal of developing the next generation of safe, explainable, and trustworthy Artificial Intelligence systems.

I am a machine learning researcher at Cubist Systematic Strategies, the quantitative research arm of Point72. I obtained my Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania advised by Prof. Hamed Hassani. I focused on developing mathematical techniques to analyze tractable high-dimensional models of deep learning, and using them to better understand and improve learning systems. Before that, I obtained my M.A. in Statistics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and my B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology in Iran (with highest distinctions).

My Research

• How do neural networks learn features? [ICML 2024] [ArXiv 2026]
• How to design deep learning optimizers that learn better features? [ICML 2025]
• Deep Learning Phenomenology:
  • Weak-to-Strong Generalization [NeurIPS 2025]
  • Agreement-on-the-Line [ICML 2023]
  • Double Descent with Correlated Samples [L4DC 2025]
• On the Information-Theoretic nature of excess risk: [IEEE Trans. Info. Theory] [ICML 2021]

A full publication list can be found here.

Honors and Awards

• Amazon AWS-AI ASSET Fellowship, 2025.
• Best Ph.D. Colloquium Talk, ESE Department, University of Pennsylvania, 2025.
• Outstanding Teaching Award, School of Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 2024.
• The Dean’s Fellowship, School of Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 2021.
• Prof. Iraj Zandi’s Fellowship, School of Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 2021.
• Ranked 6th in the cohort (among 180 students), EE Department, Sharif University of Technology, 2020.
• Academic Achievement Award, EE Department, Sharif University of Technology, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
• Ranked among the top 0.1% in Iran’s National University Entrance Exam in the Mathematics and Engineering Concentration, 2016

Other Miscellaneous Interests

Philosophy of Probability, Philosophy of Science, History of Probabilistic Ideas, Causality, 13th-15th Century Persian Poetry, Contemporary Persian Poetry, International Politics, U.S. Federal Civil Litigation, and Antiquarian Books.

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.