Can Firtina Joins Computer Science Faculty With Focus on Bioinformatics and Computer Architecture

Assistant Professor Can Firtina will join the University of Maryland’s Department of Computer Science in the Fall of 2025, bringing expertise in bioinformatics and computer architecture. His work explores how intelligent computing systems can improve the speed and efficiency of genome analysis, particularly in time-sensitive or resource-constrained environments.

His publications have appeared in both bioinformatics and architecture-focused conferences and journals. He recently earned a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from ETH Zurich.

Firtina expressed enthusiasm about his new role at the university, describing it as an opportunity to engage with students and collaborate with faculty across disciplines.

“I am extremely excited and happy to join the department as an assistant professor,” Firtina said. “I look forward to working with talented and motivated students and to collaborating with world-class colleagues both within UMD and at institutions such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH).”

Firtina’s research centers on making genome analysis more accessible and practical for real-world use.

“Analyzing genomes can provide crucial insights that guide better decisions about our health, especially in urgent, life-critical situations and about our environment,” Firtina said. “However, genomic data are usually noisy and require significant computational resources due to the sheer volume of data and the complexity of algorithms. These challenges limit the information we can extract from such valuable data and slow the adoption of genome analysis in daily life.”

His work aims to address these limitations by developing specialized computing systems that can rapidly process complex genomic information. These systems are designed to be energy-efficient and accurate, with potential applications in healthcare and environmental monitoring.

“Imagine constructing a complete human genome in minutes so that physicians can make life-critical decisions for a newborn in an intensive-care unit,” Firtina said. “Such specialized hardware can be embedded in mobile devices and drones to enable continuous health and environmental monitoring, for example in agricultural fields, bringing timely, informed decision-making within reach.”

His publications have appeared in both bioinformatics and architecture-focused conferences and journals. He recently earned a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from ETH Zurich.

Firtina’s interest in computing began with a focus on the role of insight in problem-solving. He attributes part of his inspiration for entering the field to a quote by Richard Hamming: “The purpose of computing is insight, not numbers.”

“Generating insight lies at the heart of nearly every discipline,” he said. “Computer science gives you the power to design solutions that extract such insight quickly and efficiently, enabling breakthroughs in areas ranging from artificial intelligence to the life sciences that we are already seeing today.”

Looking ahead, Firtina plans to develop end-to-end solutions that integrate genome analysis into everyday use.

“My future work will focus on designing end-to-end solutions that integrate genome analysis seamlessly into daily life and better enable key applications in the life sciences, such as genome editing and drug discovery,” he said. “These directions require rethinking how we utilize diverse biological data, including DNA, RNA, proteins, and even electrical signals, through new intelligent computing systems and AI-driven methods.”

—Story by Samuel Malede Zewdu, CS Communications