Meet the Labs @ SoDS: Third Session on 18 August 2026
Research at IDEA Lab
The School of Data Science (SoDS) at IISER Thiruvananthapuram continued its “Meet the Labs @ SoDS” talk series, offering the School community a glimpse into the diverse and interdisciplinary research being carried out across its labs.
The third session was held on 18 August 2026 at LHC Jupiter, featuring Dr. Saptarshi Bej’s IDEA Lab. Research scholars Sujan Chakraborty, Pritam Kar, and Harshit Kumar presented “Research at IDEA Lab,” providing an engaging, non-technical introduction to their work in Graph ML, Anomaly Detection, and Gradient-Free Learning in Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs).
The session provided an opportunity for participants to explore emerging research areas, interact with the speakers, and gain a broader perspective on data science research at the School. Through upcoming sessions, “Meet the Labs @ SoDS” will continue to showcase the breadth and diversity of research across the School.
Meet the Labs @ SoDS: The 2nd Session on 11th August 2026
Beyond Perception : AI and Human Behaviour Understanding
Following the successful launch of “Meet the Labs @ SoDS”, the School of Data Science (SoDS) at IISER Thiruvananthapuram continued its talk series showcasing the diverse and interdisciplinary research being carried out across the School.
The second session was held on 11 August 2026 at LHC Jupiter, featuring Dr. Alwin Poulose’s lab. Research scholars Anjali Jain, Parvathi V., and Devika Suresh R. presented “Beyond Perception: AI and Human Behaviour Understanding,” an engaging, non-technical overview of their lab’s research, ongoing work, and the exciting problems they are exploring.
The session provided an opportunity for participants to learn about the lab’s research and interact with the speakers. Through this series, “Meet the Labs @ SoDS” continues to bring different research groups together and showcase the breadth of research at the School of Data Science.
Meet the Labs @ SoDS: First Session
From Idea to Evidence: An Introduction to Clinical Trials
The School of Data Science (SoDS) at IISER Thiruvananthapuram recently launched “Meet the Labs @ SoDS”, a talk series designed to introduce the School community to the diverse and interdisciplinary research being carried out across its labs.
The first session was held on 4 August 2026 at LHC Jupiter, featuring Dr. Priyanka Majumder’s lab as the first presenting team. Dr. Majumder, along with three of her research scholars, presented “From Idea to Evidence: An Introduction to Clinical Trials,” offering an engaging and accessible introduction to the journey from developing a research idea to generating reliable evidence through clinical trials.
The session provided an opportunity for participants to gain insights into clinical research, understand the role of data and evidence in healthcare, and interact with the speakers. Through upcoming sessions, “Meet the Labs @ SoDS” will continue to showcase the diverse research interests and activities across the School of Data Science.
International
Research Talk and Interaction session with Prof. Samiran Ghosh on 13 July 2026
Penalized K-Means Clustering: Another Look at Its Statistical Properties
The School of Data Science, IISER Thiruvananthapuram, hosted a research seminar by Prof. Samiran Ghosh, Professor and Chair of the Department of Biostatistics and Data Science at the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, on 13 July 2026 at the MSB 215 Harish Chandra Hall.
Prof. Ghosh delivered a talk titled “Penalized K-Means Clustering: Another Look at Its Statistical Properties,” focusing on the statistical challenges associated with K-Means clustering when the number of clusters is unknown. He discussed a penalized version of the K-Means objective designed to reduce overfitting and improve the identification of the appropriate number of clusters, supported by simulation studies and applications to large-scale galaxy datasets.
The seminar was followed by an interactive session, providing students and researchers with an opportunity to engage with Prof. Ghosh and discuss statistical learning, clustering, and contemporary research in biostatistics and data science.
The School thanks Prof. Samiran Ghosh for sharing his research insights and for an engaging interaction with the School community.
Research Talk and Interaction session with Prof. Rajkumar Buyya on 16th December 2024
Neoteric Frontiers in Cloud and Quantum Computing
Prof. Rajkumar Buyya's talk focused on the evolving landscape of Cloud Computing and Quantum Computing in the 21st century. He discussed how cloud computing has become the "5th utility," delivering computing resources like electricity or water. He highlighted the exponential growth of cloud services, AI-powered applications and cryptocurrency mining.
His presentation covered emerging IT paradigms, architectures for elastic cloud computing, and Aneka 6G, a platform for developing AI and Big Data applications. He also shared real-world use cases in healthcare, engineering, and satellite imaging and introduced QFaaS, a serverless framework for Quantum Computing. The talk concluded with insights into future research directions in Cloud and Quantum Computing.
Low-resource Assessment of Diagnostic Imaging Technologies on 9th Jan 2024
Speaker: Prof. Howard Gifford and Prof. Mini Das, University of Houston
The talk was followed by an informal interaction with the students.
National
An industry connect session for SoDS students on 6th November 2024
Emerging technologies in the IoT application domain and possibilities of association with Webyfy IoT, the application R&D company
Webyfy IoT is an application technology Research and Development company, based at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. We engage in the development of both hardware and software components with which hundreds of highly scalable applications shall be created automatically in multiple domains/verticals using a LEGO model. REACH, the domain-agnostic technology framework can create complex and highly scalable solutions automatically reducing development cycle time from many months to a few days. The talk briefly covered IoT, the largest emerging market, the possibilities and opportunities, importance of thinking in application mode, examples of application technology development, philosophy of application development, opportunities to work with Webyfy IoT in R&D in technology development.
Time Series analysis and forecasting by example on 30th Oct 2023
Time Series Analysis and Forecasting by Example
The School of Data Science, IISER TVM successfully organized a talk as part of its series, "Realms of Data: Beyond Classroom into Practical Mastery." The session featured Dr. Rahul Thekkedath, Assistant Adviser at the Department of Statistics and Information Management, Reserve Bank of India.
Dr. Thekkedath's lecture focused on fundamental techniques in time series analysis, covering key aspects of empirical model building and forecasting. Through practical examples, he explained visualizing time series data, stationary and non-stationary models, the Box-Jenkins methodology, and forecast performance evaluation. The session provided students with valuable insights into real-world data analysis techniques.
Data Science seminar of Mr. Sudipto Pal from UBER, Bangalore on 4th September 2023
Causality, Experiments & ML
Causal Inference is a mechanism to evaluate the impact of changes in products and policies on user behavior. A/B testing is a powerful tool used for the same. It helps improve products and services in the tech, pharma, financial and social sectors. By comparing two versions of a product or service, A/B testing can help you determine which version performs better for your target audience. This can lead to increased efficiency, conversions, sales, and customer satisfaction. In this presentation, we will discuss the basics of Causality, A/B testing, and their practical challenges, with real examples from industries.
Intelligent Security Systems by Dr. Renu M. Rameshan on 23rd Aug 2023
Intelligent security systems
Dr. Renu M Rameshan delivered an insightful talk on the role of image processing, signal processing, and computer vision in developing security products for aviation and traffic/smart city surveillance. As part of her discussion, she provided an overview of commonly used technologies and highlighted challenges faced in designing these solutions within an industry setting.
She also explored technical aspects of image processing and learning-based solutions for video analytics, demonstrating their applications in real-world surveillance scenarios. The talk offered valuable insights into the intersection of computer vision, machine learning, and security technologies.
Colloquium and Symposia
National
Frontiers Symposium in Data Science on 31st January 2024
The second edition of the Frontiers Symposium series at the School of Data Science at IISER Thiruvananthapuram
The School of Data Science (SoDS) at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram (IISER TVM) is conducting the second edition of the Frontier Symposium in Data Science, FS-DSC from the 31st January and 2nd of February 2024. The goals are to enhance scientific cooperation, broaden the exposure of our student community to contemporary research, and establish a better connection among our institute's faculty members and students to the nationwide scientific community in the Discipline of Data Science. We have several speakers in the field of Data Science and Machine Learning coming from all over India. Please visit the symposium web page (https://sites.google.com/view/fs-dsc-2025) for more updates.
Frontiers Symposium in Data Science on 9th Feb 2024
The first ever conference held at the School of Data Science at IISER Thiruvananthapuram
The School of Data Science (SoDS) at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram (IISER TVM) is conducting the first edition of the Frontier Symposium in Data Science, FS-DSC from the 9th and 10th of February 2024. The goals are to enhance scientific cooperation, broaden the exposure of our student community to contemporary research, and establish a better connection among our institute's faculty members and students to the nationwide scientific community in the Discipline of Data Science. We have several speakers in the field of Data Science and Machine Learning coming from all over India. Please visit the symposium web page for more updates.
Discovering the Nature of Science - March 1, 2023
Institute Colloquium by Dr Sundar Sarukkai
Prof. Sundar Sarukkai is trained in physics and philosophy, and has a PhD in theoretical particle physics from Purdue University. His work is primarily in the philosophy of the natural and social sciences. He was earlier professor of philosophy at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore as well as the Founding-Director of the Manipal Centre for Philosophy and Humanities, Manipal University. Most recently, he was a Visiting Faculty at the Centre for Society and Policy, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He is the founder of Barefoot Philosophers, an initiative to take philosophy to students and the general public.
Workshops
National
SERB Karyashala Workshop (08th - 14th January 2024)
Real-Life Data Modeling via Statistical and Machine Learning Tools
The first Workshop organized by the School of Data Sciences at IISER Thiruvananthapuram brought together 25 selected participants from over 200 applicants. The workshop covered a diverse range of topics in statistics, machine learning, and data science, including panel count data modeling, Bayesian methods in genetics, and classification techniques. Sessions explored key concepts such as Poisson processes, birth-death models, and physics-informed neural networks. Additionally, there were discussions on financial and time series analysis, copula modeling, and volatility models in asset pricing. The workshop also addressed real-world applications, including river flow measurement corrections and Antarctic ice accumulation studies, offering participants a comprehensive understanding of data-driven research methodologies along with hands-on sessions for data analysis.
Speakers
Prof. P G Sankaran, CUSAT
Dr. Arunava Majumdar, IIT Hyderabad
Dr. Priyanka Majumdar, IISER TVM
Prof. Sanjeev Sabnis, IIT Bombay
Dr. Nagaiah Chamakuri, IISER TVM
Prof. C Satheesh Kumar, University of Kerala
Prof. T. G. Deepak, IIST TVM
Prof. Debasish Sengupta, ISI Kolkata
Dr. Rahul Thekkedath, RBI
Dr. Shyamal Ghosh, IISER TVM
Dr. Muhammed Anvar P, Kannur University
Dr. Reji J, IISER TVM
Dr. Alwin Poulose, IISER TVM
Dr. Saptarshi Bej, IISER TVM
Others
Collaborative Training Programs
Placement Training Session on 18th January 2025
Soft Skills Training Program for i2 BSMS Data Science Students
The training was offered as part of Tata Elxsi’s voluntary CSR initiatives. The session was facilitated by Ms. Dainu Kuruvila, an accomplished trainer and a key member of their Learning & Development team. Content Overview: (i) Compass Calibration Check – Essential Soft Skills (ii) Visibility to Others – Building Your Personal Brand (iii) Oxygen Mask – Harnessing Emotional Intelligence
National
Faculty interaction on 13th November 2024
Interaction with Prof. E.D. Jemmis
Prof. E.D. Jemmis, the founding Director of IISER Thiruvananthapuram recently met with faculty members of the IISER Thiruvananthapuram School of Data Science, sharing valuable insights into the current research landscape. As a distinguished computational chemist, his perspectives bridged the intersection of chemistry and data science, offering a broader understanding of emerging research trends. His discussion likely provided inspiration for interdisciplinary collaborations, fostering innovation in computational modeling, artificial intelligence, and scientific computing.
Faculty interation on 29th October 2024
Interaction with Dr. T. Ramasami
Dr. T. Ramasami, former Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, engaged in an insightful interaction with the faculty members of the School of Data Science at IISER Thiruvananthapuram. His discussion provided valuable perspectives on scientific research, policy, and advancements in data-driven technologies. The session fostered meaningful exchanges on the future of interdisciplinary research and the role of data science in addressing global challenges.
Inauguration of the Data Science Computer Lab on 19th August, 2024
First 25 Seater lab for the School of Data Science by the Honorable Director Prof. J. N. Moorthy
The School of Data Science at IISER Thiruvananthapuram successfully inaugurated its new 25 seater Data Science Computer Lab on 19th August 2024, at 3:30 p.m. The event was graced by the esteemed presence of Prof. J. N. Moorthy, Honorable Director of IISER TVM. The lab is set to enhance computational research and learning, providing a state-of-the-art environment for data-driven innovation. Faculty, students, and researchers attended the event at BSB 1101F, marking a significant milestone for the school.
Informal interaction session on 21st December 2023
Students interacted informally with Prof. Alex Pothen, University of Purdue
