Shivani Agarwal

Research

Shivani Agarwal is the Rachleff Family Associate Professor in Computer and Information Science where she co-directs the Penn Research in Machine Learning (PRiML) center and leads the Penn Institute for Foundations of Data Science. Agarwal’s research primarily focuses on foundational questions in machine learning and its applications in fields such as life sciences, economics and operations research. She is particularly interested in understanding the strengths and weaknesses of machine learning models, with an emphasis on ranking and decision-making systems, as well as applications that solve real-world problems, such as predicting patient responses to treatments in collaboration with the healthcare sector. Her work often bridges machine learning with other academic disciplines, pushing the boundaries of how data science can be applied to diverse fields. Agarwal is also dedicated to addressing gaps between theory and practice in machine learning, aiming to improve the transparency and reliability of AI models in various applications.