Brief Bio

I am a statistician and machine learning researcher working at the intersection of statistics, machine learning, and data science. My research develops new theory and methodology for analyzing large, complex, and high-dimensional datasets. Areas of focus include high-dimensional inference, network and graph-based models, structured and correlated data, nonparametric and computational methods, and statistical foundations of AI.

I am Chair Professor of Statistics and Machine Learning in the Department of Applied Mathematics (AMA) at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). I have held academic positions at leading institutions worldwide, including the National University of Singapore (NUS), Peking University (PKU), the University of Munich (LMU), and the University of Warwick.

I received my bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), and a Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

I am a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (IMS) and an Elected Member of the International Statistical Institute (ISI). I have also been a Humboldt Fellow and an Inaugural Turing Fellow at the Alan Turing Institute. My previous leadership roles include Chair of the Research Section of the Royal Statistical Society and Co-Director of the Oxford–Warwick Statistics Centre for Doctoral Training. I currently serve as Associate Editor for the Journal of Computational and Graphical Statistics and Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, and previously served on the editorial board of the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series B.

🚀 What’s New

I am recruiting PhD students and postdoctoral fellows with strong backgrounds in mathematics, statistics, or computer science, and a passion for statistics, machine learning, data science, and AI. My vision is to build a vibrant and collaborative research group at PolyU, where students are encouraged to tackle fundamental challenges, develop innovative theory and methods, and create work with lasting real-world impact.

If you are excited about growing as an independent researcher in a supportive environment and contributing to advances at the frontiers of data science, I would be delighted to hear from you. Please send your CV and a short research statement to 📧 chenlei.leng@polyu.edu.hk. Details on PhD scholarships and admission procedures can be found on the PolyU Graduate School website. While I may not be able to reply to every message, I carefully review all applications and will reach out to those who are a strong fit.