Ioannis A. Kakadiaris
Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished University Professor
University of Houston
 

Professor Ioannis A. Kakadiaris, Ph.D., is a Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished University Professor of Computer Science at the University of Houston and directs the Computational Biomedicine Lab (CBL). Ioannis is an international expert in digital health. Specifically, (i) Pioneered the combined use of machine learning and game theory to predict adverse cardiovascular events. The ML Risk Calculator outperformed the ACC/AHA Risk Calculator by recommending less drug therapy (11% versus 46% being statin eligible) yet missing fewer events (14.4% vs. 23.8%); (ii) Pioneered the research field of vasa vasorum imaging for patients at risk of having a heart attack, (iii) Invented and developed automated computational tools for processing large volumes of imaging data; (iv) Developed the first patient-centered software system for rendering patient-specific predictions of the postoperative breast shape for breast reconstructive surgery, (v) Invented a method and system that turns COTS mobile devices into Augmented Reality platforms able to visualize in real-time data “inside” a patient’s body (as acquired during pre-operative scans). Ioannis has served as the Director of the Borders, Trade, and Immigration (BTI) Institute, a Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence led by the University of Houston (UH). As director of the BTI Institute, Ioannis oversaw multiple projects undertaken by eighteen partners across eight states and the District of Columbia. The portfolio focused on homeland security enterprise research, education, and workforce development by studying complex, multi-disciplinary issues related to cross-border movements of people, goods, data, and financial capital.   He earned his B.Sc. in Physics at the University of Athens in Greece, his M.Sc. in Computer Science from Northeastern University, and his Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to twice winning the UH Computer Science Research Excellence Award, Ioannis has been recognized for his work with several distinguished honors, including the 2022 UH Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity, the UH Enron Teaching Excellence Award, the NSF Early Career Development Award, the Schlumberger Technical Foundation Award, and the James Muller Vulnerable Plaque Young Investigator Prize. His research has been featured on Discovery Channel, National Public Radio, KPRC NBC News, KTRH ABC News, and KHOU CBS News.