Xianghao Kong

I am a Senior Machine Learning Research Engineer at Apple , where I work on GenAI + Design. I earned my PhD in Computer Science from UC Riverside under the supervision of Prof. Greg Ver Steeg. Fortunately, I also worked at SonyAI(Host: Vikash Sehwag) and Adobe Firefly (Host: Hareesh Ravi) as a Research Intern.

My research centers on Generative Models (Diffusion Models & Energy-Based Models), with a focus on their interpretability, alignment, and compositionality. Specifically, I explore diffusion models through a novel information-theoretic lens, termed Information-Theoretic Diffusion (ITD) ℹ️. Our work demonstrates how Mutual Information enhances compositional reasoning and modality alignment (e.g., text and image).

Before joining UC Riverside, I worked on EEG data analysis for Brain–Computer Interface (BCI) 🧠 technologies, bridging neuroscience and computer science. Outside of research, I enjoy exploring food, sketching, and visiting museums.