The Paired Ends Lab (the “Turner Lab”) is a research group directed by Associate Professor Stephen Turner at the University of Virginia School of Data Science. We work at the intersection of AI, biology, and national security, developing approaches to understand biological systems and evaluating the benefits and biosecurity risks of artificial intelligence. We study whether advanced AI models expand people’s ability to design and troubleshoot biological experiments, and how well biology benchmarks predict that assistance. In collaboration with other AI researchers at the School of Data Science, we also investigate ways to reduce harmful capabilities while preserving useful scientific applications. We work with UVA’s National Security Data and Policy Institute to connect empirical findings with decisions about AI safeguards and deployment.
The lab also carries on Turner's longer work in computational biology, public health, and genetic epidemiology in collaboration with health researchers in the School of Medicine and Biocomplexity Institute. We also develop and apply methods in computational biology and genetic epidemiology to understand how genetic variation and gene regulation contribute to human disease.
Research tags: AI Biosecurity; AI Evaluation; Computational Biology; Genetic Epidemiology; Functional Genomics; Cancer Data Science.
Research Interests: AIxBio, Biosecurity, Genomics, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Public Health, Infectious Disease
