Speaker: Ashia Wilson (MIT)​Title: Two Approaches Towards Adaptive Optimization​Abstract: This talk will address to recent projects I am excited about. The first describes efficient methodologies for hyper-parameter estimation in optimization algorithms. I will describe two approaches for how to adaptively estimate these parameters that often lead to significant improvement in convergence. The second describes a new method, called Metropolis-Adjusted Preconditioned Langevin Algorithm for sampling from a convex body. Taking an optimization perspective, I focus on the mixing time guarantees of these algorithms — an essential theoretical property for MCMC methods — under natural conditions over the target distribution and the geometry of the domain.

Time: 10:30 AMLocation: Boston, MA / The TRACK at New Balance

Time: 10:30 AMLocation: Boston, MA / The TRACK at New Balance

You are invited to a two-session luncheon book club. The book we will be discussing is Assembling Tomorrow: A Guide to Designing a Thriving Future by Scott Doorley and Carissa Carter. The dates for the book discussion are Friday, January 31 and Friday, February 28, from noon to 1:30pmEST. Sessions will be held via Zoom (Join Zoom Meeting: https://mit.zoom.us/j/3801792429?omn=91421489129).The book "investigates the intangibles, the mysterious forces that contribute to the off-kilter feelings of today, and follows up with actionables to help you alter your perspective and find opportunities in these turbulent times. Mixed throughout are histories of the future, short pieces of speculative fiction that illustrate how things go haywire and what might be in store if we don’t set them straight."Each session will be interactive; we will discuss two chapters from the “Intangibles” section of the book and two chapters from the “Actionables” section:January 31 from 12pm to 1:30pmEST will focus on chapters 1, 2, 5, and 6: Connections, Flow, Be Awkward, and Shapeshift.February 28 from 12pm to 1:30pmEST will focus on chapters 3, 4, 7, and 8: Feelings, Make-Believe, Disorient Yourself, and Aim for Imperfection.In November, MAD hosted a book launch of Assembling Tomorrow. The presentation was captivating and sparked my interest in the book. Why revisit a book we have already featured? To take the opportunity to dig a little deeper and benefit from the perspectives of others. Assembling Tomorrow is a fascinating read that is both a cautionary tale and an action plan for improved designs. We hope you can join us!

A 50 minute, (usually) student-led tour of MIT D-Lab, D-Lab prototypes, and our workshop! Hear about the 23-year history of D-Lab, our founding director Amy Smith, our 12+ MIT classes, research groups, humanitarian innovation program and more! Not free at tour time? Stop by anytime to look around or email d-lab-tours@mit.edu.

Date: Friday, February 28, 2025 Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm Location: Simons Center Conference room 46-6011 + Zoom (https://mit.zoom.us/j/93152386467)Speaker: Dr. Yunjin Lee Affiliation: Postdoctoral Researcher, Jun Huh Lab, Harvard Medical SchoolTalk title: Brain-wide mapping of immune receptors uncovers a neuro-modulatory role of interleukin-17E and the receptor IL-17RB Abstract: Cytokines and their receptors regulate diverse processes, including immune responses and behavior. Our brain-wide mapping of IL-17 receptor subunits revealed that IL-17RB expression in the cortex plays a key role in modulating social behaviors. We further demonstrated that IL-17E, acting on IL-17RB-expressing cortical neurons, enhances social interaction, highlighting a novel neuro-immune circuit that links cytokine signaling to behavioral outcomes.