Amit Chourasia is Chief Research Data Architect at UCLA, where he leads strategy and architecture across research data, advanced research computing, AI enablement, and institutional research technology capabilities. His work focuses on translating complex research and organizational needs into scalable platforms, services, and roadmaps that strengthen research competitiveness and impact.
Over more than 20 years, he has led the development of platforms, infrastructure, and services spanning high-performance computing, research software, data-intensive science, and science gateways. In roles at UCLA and the San Diego Supercomputer Center, he has helped deliver full-stack platforms serving over 25 research communities and 25,000 users, while contributing to major research computing and cyberinfrastructure initiatives.
His work has contributed to major grant-funded research and technology efforts and has been recognized through honors, including being named an ACM Gordon Bell Award finalist, receiving the NVIDIA Global Impact Award, and earning an R&D 100 Award. He has also served the broader community through proposal review, conference leadership, and program committee chair and co-chair roles across research computing, visualization, and science gateways.
Institutional Profile: UCLA Profile
Current Focus
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Research data and research computing strategy
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AI enablement for research and institutional capability building
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Cyberinfrastructure and research technology architecture
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Platforms and services for data-intensive and software-driven research
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Cross-campus alignment of faculty, administrative, and technical priorities
Selected Highlights
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Helped secure $109M in grant awards across research computing, platform, product, and cyberinfrastructure initiatives
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Led development of full-stack platforms supporting more than 25 research communities and 25,000 users
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Helped shape and support multiple Top500 HPC cluster initiatives serving over 1,000 scientific teams
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Built and led platforms spanning research computing, data management, scientific workflows, and science gateways
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Recognized through honors, including being named an ACM Gordon Bell Award finalist, NVIDIA Global Impact Award, and R&D 100 Award
Prior Experience
Before joining UCLA, Amit held leadership roles at the San Diego Supercomputer Center, including Director of Software and Platforms, Chief Scientist for Applied Sciences and Platforms, and Manager of the Visualization Group. His work there spanned research platforms, science gateways, data management, visualization, HPC systems, and applied research software.
He also served as Lecturer in Data Science at UC San Diego, teaching in the industry-focused master’s program in Data Science and Engineering, and as a Visiting Scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.