Purdue PhD student wins Exceptional Student Award at CYTO 2025
08-07-2025
Abida Sanjana Shemonti wins Exceptional Student Award at CYTO 2025 for advancing flow cytometry visualization.
Abida Sanjana Shemonti, a PhD student in Purdue’s Department of Computer Science, received the Exceptional Student Award at ISAC (International Society for Advancement of Cytometry) CYTO 2025, one of only three finalists selected from a global pool. Her recognition is especially notable as a computer scientist presenting to a biology-focused audience.
Shemonti’s research introduces a novel method for analyzing and visualizing high-dimensional flow cytometry data, which measures dozens of features across millions of cells. Traditional tools often oversimplify this complex data, making it difficult to draw meaningful conclusions. Her framework uses optimal transport theory to model statistical relationships between cell populations and generate more interpretable, network-based visualizations. The method has already revealed key biological patterns in real-world cancer datasets.
“The cytometry community was incredibly welcoming to computational perspectives,” said Shemonti. “It was exciting to see our work resonate so strongly.”
The project is a collaboration between Purdue Computer Science, the Bindley Bioscience Center, and Miftek Corporation, and was co-advised by Dr. Alex Pothen and Dr. Bartek Rajwa. It was initially launched in collaboration with Dr. J. Paul Robinson, director of Purdue Cytometry Labs. Funding for this project was provided by the U.S. Department of Energy and Miftek Corporation.
Shemonti is preparing a research paper and plans to release a public software tool based on this work to help researchers and clinicians explore complex single-cell data with greater clarity. She has completed her PhD degree requirements during Summer 2025 with a dissertation focused on modeling optimal transport mass and cost for neural and cellular systems.
About the Department of Computer Science at Purdue University
Founded in 1962, the Department of Computer Science was created to be an innovative base of knowledge in the emerging field of computing as the first degree-awarding program in the United States. The department continues to advance the computer science industry through research. U.S. News & World Report ranks the department No. 8 in computer engineering and No. 16 overall in undergraduate and graduate computer science. Additionally, the program is ranked No. 6 in cybersecurity, No. 8 in software engineering, No. 13 in systems, No. 15 in programming languages and data analytics, and No. 18 in theory. Graduates of the program are able to solve complex and challenging problems in many fields. Our consistent success in an ever-changing landscape is reflected in the record undergraduate enrollment, increased faculty hiring, innovative research projects, and the creation of new academic programs. The increasing centrality of computer science in society, academic disciplines and new research activities — centered around foundations and applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning, such as natural language processing, human computer interaction, vision, and robotics, as well as systems and security — are the future focus of the department. Learn more at cs.purdue.edu.