On a vibrant autumn afternoon in London, Li Yingzhen, an Associate Professor at Imperial College, conducted her weekly research meeting in the Department of Computing. While new students filled the hallways and graduates celebrated in the courtyard, she led a session with nine male PhD students, highlighting the ongoing gender imbalance in the field of computer science.
Li”s academic journey began in China, where she initially studied mathematics. However, her fascination with data emerged during her undergraduate studies, leading her to participate in summer schools and data science competitions. This passion ultimately took her to the University of Cambridge for a PhD in machine learning, focusing on probabilistic models that explain data generation.
After earning her doctorate, Li spent two and a half years as a senior researcher at Microsoft Research in Cambridge. A landmark moment in her career occurred in 2018 when her paper on score matching drew the interest of Ilya Sutskever from OpenAI. Although she declined an interview for a research position there, she viewed the recognition as a significant validation of her work.
Throughout her career, Li often found herself as the only woman in her research environment, which heightened her awareness of gender dynamics within computing. She noted, “During my PhD, I was the sole woman among fifty or sixty people for nearly three years.” This experience prompted her to advocate for her ideas using objective data and evidence, enhancing her collaborative efforts.
At Imperial College, the representation of women in computing has improved, with approximately 30 percent of professors being female. Li has taken on the role of mentor and role model for aspiring female scientists. Her colleague, Fan Hongxiang, praised her expertise, stating, “Her knowledge often surpasses that of many male experts,” and highlighted her dedication to student development.
Currently, Li oversees a diverse group of 11 PhD students and two postdoctoral researchers from various regions, including China and South America. Her students describe her as both empathetic and motivating, noting her ability to foster independence while providing support when necessary. “She”s passionate about research—when she gets excited, it”s contagious,” remarked one student, Carles Balsells Rodas.
Li emphasizes values she refers to as her “six C”s”: curiosity, courage, challenge, concentration, continuation, and confidence, which she believes are vital not just in research but in life. In 2020, she became one of the first Chinese scholars to present a tutorial at NeurIPS, a premier machine learning conference, and in 2021, she engaged in a notable debate with Turing Award laureate Yann LeCun.
Li”s work also addresses the social implications of artificial intelligence. She pointed out biases in image-generation apps, where requests for roles like “doctor” or “CEO” predominantly produce male images, while roles such as “nurse” or “teacher” yield female representations. This underlines the importance of incorporating women”s experiences in AI development.
Within her department, female professors support each other through mentorship and collaboration, creating a network that empowers female students and faculty. Li maintains strong ties with China”s burgeoning AI sector, collaborating with her twin sister, who leads an AI engineering team at ByteDance.
Recently, she spoke at the UK Women in AI Summit, where she encouraged women to break through self-imposed barriers in academia and industry. Li concluded, “To develop AI systems that understand human needs and embody empathy, we need more women involved—not just as users, but as creators.” This mission reflects her commitment to building sustainable, socially responsible, and diverse AI systems.
