# Discovery-Driven Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence for Biosciences and Drug Discovery

> **NIH NIH R35** · MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $377,995

## Abstract

Discovery-driven mathematics and artificial intelligence for biosciences and drug
discovery
 Project Summary
Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most transformative technologies in human history and has
profoundly changed the world around us in the past few years. Advancing AI has become a
national strategy. Currently, AI is playing a crucial role in every aspect of biosciences. However,
there are many challenges that that hinder the further advance of AI in pandemic forecasting,
drug discovery, and directed evolution. My team has been addressing these challenges with a
unique approach that utilizes advanced mathematics (i.e., algebraic topology, differential
geometry, and combinatorial graphs) to empower AI for biosciences, including severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) modeling, drug discovery, and AI-assisted
directed evolution. Our approach has had proven successes in discovering the mechanisms of
SARS-CoV-2 evolution and transmission in the early stage of the pandemic (i.e., May 2020),
successful forecasting of two key mutation sites involved in prevailing SARS-CoV-2 variants long
before their occurrence, and in D3R Grand Challenges, a worldwide competition series in
computer-aided drug design. I plan to further pursue this unique path by focusing on three
ambitious directions: 1) Develop a genome-informed mathematical AI paradigm to predict
emerging viral variants and their impacts; 2) Develop an automated, human-proteome informed
AI platform for drug discovery, and 3) Develop a mathematical AI-assisted paradigm for directed
evolution. My research will be carried out in strong partnerships with experimental labs, Pfizer,
and Bristol Myers Squibb.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10919754
- **Project number:** 5R35GM148196-02
- **Recipient organization:** MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Guowei Wei
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $377,995
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-09-05 → 2028-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10919754

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10919754, Discovery-Driven Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence for Biosciences and Drug Discovery (5R35GM148196-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10919754. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*