Mehdi Ghayoumi
Assistant Professor of Cybersecurity
Lab Director, Data Science Innovations Lab (DSIL)
Dr. Mehdi Ghayoumi is Assistant Professor of Cybersecurity at SUNY Canton and an interdisciplinary researcher whose work spans artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity, privacy, digital health, affective computing, and human-centered intelligent systems. He combines academic research, applied innovation, and industry experience to develop practical technologies for real-world challenges in healthcare, data-driven decision-making, robotics, and secure intelligent systems. He is also the Founder and CEO of ALLGALAXY and leads translational work connecting research, education, and deployable technology systems.
Dr. Ghayoumi earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Kent State University. His background bridges theory and practice across machine learning, deep learning, machine vision, robotics, human-robot interaction, privacy-aware AI, and digital health technologies.
At SUNY Canton, he contributes to both Cybersecurity and Data Science initiatives. Public SUNY materials identify him as a lead faculty member in the Data Science and Analytics program, and he directs the Data Science Innovations Lab, where students and researchers work on AI, machine learning, and cybersecurity projects with real-world applications across healthcare, robotics, digital media, and related domains.
His recent scholarship and innovation activities include research on privacy-preserving AI, multimodal modeling, and early detection technologies for cognitive decline. SUNY Canton also highlighted his NSF I-Corps-supported work on an eye-tracking system designed to identify subtle ocular biomarkers associated with neurodegeneration, reflecting his ongoing interest in combining machine learning with clinically meaningful digital health applications.
Dr. Ghayoumi is also an active author and educator in AI. SUNY Canton reported in 2024 and 2025 that he published Generative Adversarial Networks in Practice and Mathematical Foundations for Deep Learning, and described him as the author of multiple AI textbooks. These publications reflect his commitment to making advanced AI concepts accessible to students, researchers, and practitioners.
Before joining SUNY Canton, Dr. Ghayoumi held academic roles at Cornell University, Kent State University, Binghamton University, the University of San Diego, and the University of Southern California, and he has also worked in applied research and industry settings including Openpath Security and Double Robotics. His experience across academia, startup innovation, and applied AI informs his teaching, mentoring, and research leadership.
Research Interests
Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Cybersecurity, Privacy, Digital Health, Affective Computing, Human-Robot Interaction, Data Science, Healthcare Systems, and Multimodal Intelligent Systems.
Teaching and Mentorship
Dr. Ghayoumi teaches and develops courses in machine learning, deep learning, artificial intelligence, applied data science, big data, cryptology, ethics in data science, and data security and privacy. His teaching emphasizes practical problem-solving, research-driven learning, and the development of technical skills that prepare students for work in AI, data science, and cybersecurity.
Professional Engagement
He is active in scholarly publishing, conference service, and interdisciplinary collaboration, and maintains professional affiliations with organizations such as ACM, AAAI, and IEEE. His work reflects a sustained commitment to research, curriculum development, student mentorship, and the responsible advancement of AI and cybersecurity technologies.