Huilian Sophie Qiu

I am a Junior Group Leader in the Network Research Group at the University of Göttingen. I will join HKUST (Guangzhou) in Fall 2026. I have recently been nominated for full membership in the Sigma Xi Society.

Before moving to Germany, I was a Research Assistant Professor at the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems at Northwestern University. My work spans natural language processing, computational social science, network science, and software engineering.

I received my Ph.D. in Societal Computing from Carnegie Mellon University, where I was advised by Prof. Bogdan Vasilescu. I previously earned a master's degree in Computer Science from Princeton University and bachelor's degrees in Computer Science and East Asian Studies from Brown University.

Grounded in empirical data, my research examines how scientific language and social structures shape funding outcomes, open-source collaboration, and technological innovation. My work has appeared in venues including PNAS, JAMA Network Open, and ICSE. My first-authored ICSE paper received an ACM SIGSOFT Distinguished Paper Award.

My Ph.D. thesis

Research Interests

• AI for science and innovation
• Natural language processing
• Computational social science
• Open-source software communities
• Social networks and scientific collaboration

Personal Interests

• Street and animal photography
• Puzzle design
• Harry Potter and witchcraft

I welcome applications from students interested in using computational methods to study science, innovation, and online communities.

Research Areas

• Natural language processing and large language models for science and innovation
• Computational social science and large-scale behavioral data analysis
• Open-source software communities and developer participation
• Human-centered AI systems for researchers and knowledge workers

What I Expect

• Intellectual curiosity, independence, persistence, and a willingness to learn
• English proficiency
• The ability to conduct independent research without relying on AI tools

Applicants may come from computer science, data science, information systems, computational social science, management science, communication, or related fields. Experience with natural language processing, machine learning, statistical modeling, or network analysis is helpful but not required for every project.

Before Contacting Me

Please read several of my recent papers and explain how your research interests connect with my work. Generic emails that do not describe a specific research connection are unlikely to receive a response.

Please include the following materials:

• A concise description of your research interests
• An explanation of why you would like to work with me
• Your curriculum vitae

Admission decisions are made through the university's formal application process. An email exchange does not constitute an offer of admission.