Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
About Alexis Battle
Alexis Battle is the director of the Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare and the director of research for strategy and partnerships for the Data Science and AI Institute. She specializes in unlocking secrets of the human genome, using machine learning to analyze large-scale genomic sequencing data to understand the impact of genetic variation on the human body.
Battle’s research is concentrated on the development of computational biology tools and machine learning methods to examine how DNA sequence differences between individuals affect gene regulation and disease risk. She focuses on predicting the effects of variation in noncoding DNA sequences, including how contexts such as cell state, development, aging, and environment modulate genetics and gene regulation.
At JHU’s Battle Lab, her research also includes the development of new methods to evaluate and predict the impact of personal genomics and rare genetic variants that may significantly impact an individual’s health. This work has led to methods that help diagnose rare genetic diseases and predict personal disease risk for common diseases ranging from heart disease to neurological disorders. Battle is involved in a host of ongoing NIH-supported research initiatives, ranging from developing AI and machine learning methods for understanding autism to modeling the effects of genetics throughout childhood. Working with colleagues from across the university, Battle also co-leads Johns Hopkins’ participation in the Cancer AI Alliance and the Johns Hopkins Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratory for Aging Research. Her awards include the 2022 JHU President’s Frontier Award, and she was named a 2016 Searle Scholar and a 2020 Microsoft Investigator Fellow.
Battle received her formal education from Stanford University, where she earned a BS in 2003, an MS in 2013, and a PhD in computer science in 2013. She worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford before joining Hopkins in 2014. Prior to her career in academia, Battle was a staff software engineer and manager for Google.
About the Position
The Wu and Zhang Professorship was established in 2022 through the generosity of Jun Wu, Engr ’98 (MSE),’03 (PhD), and Yan Zhang, Engr ’00 (MSE). The Wu and Zhang Professorship serves the Whiting School’s mission in a powerful and visible way, recognizing the leadership and contributions of a faculty member.
About Alexis Battle
Alexis Battle is the director of the Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare and the director of research for strategy and partnerships for the Data Science and AI Institute. She specializes in unlocking secrets of the human genome, using machine learning to analyze large-scale genomic sequencing data to understand the impact of genetic variation on the human body.
Battle’s research is concentrated on the development of computational biology tools and machine learning methods to examine how DNA sequence differences between individuals affect gene regulation and disease risk. She focuses on predicting the effects of variation in noncoding DNA sequences, including how contexts such as cell state, development, aging, and environment modulate genetics and gene regulation.
At JHU’s Battle Lab, her research also includes the development of new methods to evaluate and predict the impact of personal genomics and rare genetic variants that may significantly impact an individual’s health. This work has led to methods that help diagnose rare genetic diseases and predict personal disease risk for common diseases ranging from heart disease to neurological disorders. Battle is involved in a host of ongoing NIH-supported research initiatives, ranging from developing AI and machine learning methods for understanding autism to modeling the effects of genetics throughout childhood. Working with colleagues from across the university, Battle also co-leads Johns Hopkins’ participation in the Cancer AI Alliance and the Johns Hopkins Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratory for Aging Research. Her awards include the 2022 JHU President’s Frontier Award, and she was named a 2016 Searle Scholar and a 2020 Microsoft Investigator Fellow.
Battle received her formal education from Stanford University, where she earned a BS in 2003, an MS in 2013, and a PhD in computer science in 2013. She worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford before joining Hopkins in 2014. Prior to her career in academia, Battle was a staff software engineer and manager for Google.
About the Position
The Wu and Zhang Professorship was established in 2022 through the generosity of Jun Wu, Engr ’98 (MSE),’03 (PhD), and Yan Zhang, Engr ’00 (MSE). The Wu and Zhang Professorship serves the Whiting School’s mission in a powerful and visible way, recognizing the leadership and contributions of a faculty member.
