👋 About Me

I am a final-year PhD student in Management Science and Engineering at Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and a joint PhD student in Biostatistics at City University of Hong Kong, advised by Prof. Xinyu Zhang and Prof. Wen Su.

My research lies at the intersection of high-dimensional statistics, machine learning, and causal inference. Broadly, I focus on developing model averaging methods for prediction, including approaches for tensor-structured data and neural networks. More recently, I have been working on problems in causal inference with instrumental variables and model averaging methods for difference-in-differences.

In addition to methodological work, I am also interested in applying statistical methods to real-world problems. I have been collaborating with clinicians on medical data analysis, working with Dr. Yuan Gao at Beijing YouAn Hospital on projects related to COVID-19 and liver diseases, with a focus on statistical modeling for clinical and observational data.

I am always open to collaborations on model averaging, causal inference, and machine learning.

Outside of my research, I enjoy staying active through basketball, football, and hiking.

🔬 Research Interests

Model averaging
Causal inference
Instrumental variable
Deep neural network
Tensor and longitudinal data

💻 Experience

2021.09 – 2026.06
PhD in Management Science and Engineering
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
2024.09 – 2026.06
Joint PhD in Biostatistics
City University of Hong Kong
2024.05 – 2024.09
Research Assistant, Department of Applied Mathematics
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
2017.09 – 2021.06
BSc in Mathematics and Applied Mathematics
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
2020.01 – 2020.06
Visiting Student, Department of Mathematics
Columbia University in the City of New York

📝 Publications

Bu, Q., Liang, H., Zhang, X., and Zou, J. (2025).
Improving tensor regression by optimal model averaging.
Journal of the American Statistical Association, 120(550), 1115–1126. link
Zhang, H., Bu, Q., and Zhang, X. (2025).
Model merging with multiple structural neural networks for crude oil price forecasting.
China Journal of Econometrics, 5(4), 1053–1071. link
Gao, Y., Zhang, J., Liu, M., Bu, Q., Li, C., Yang, W., Li, J., Xiong, W., Liang, X., Zhang, K., Dong, Y., Zhou, L., Zhuang, J., Gong, Z., Gao, Y., Fu, L., Lu, H., Zhang, X., and Hu, Z. (2025).
Superior antiviral efficacy of combined 3CL protease and RdRp inhibition compared to 3CL protease inhibitor monotherapy in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Journal of Infection, 90(6), 106502. (Co-first author) link
Gao, Y., Gao, Y., Shi, R., Ji, D., Wang, Y., Xu, L., Wang, Q., Wu, M., You, H., Bu, Q., Dong, Y., Zhou, L., Liu, W., Song, Q., Han, Y., Wei, H., Zhang, X., and Hu, Z. (2025).
Effect of empagliflozin on fractional excretion of sodium in patients with cirrhosis and refractory ascites.
World Journal of Hepatology, 17(10), 110247. (Co-first author) link
Gao, Y., Dong, Y., Bu, Q., Gong, Z., Wang, W., Zhou, Z., Gao, Y., Liu, L., Wu, M., Zhang, J., Liang, L., Li, H., Jiang, M., Luo, Z., Ma, Y., Zhang, X., and Hu, Z. (2024).
Antiviral effectiveness, clinical outcomes, and artificial intelligence imaging analysis for hospitalized COVID-19 patients receiving antivirals.
Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses, 18(9), e70006. (Co-first author) link

📄 Working Papers

Bu, Q., Zhang, X., and Zhao, S.
Longitudinal tensor data learning via optimal model averaging.
(Under review)
Bu, Q., Su, W., Zhao, X., and Liu, Z.
Semiparametric causal inference for right-censored outcomes with many weak and invalid instruments.
(Under review)
Bu, Q., Li, B., and Zhang, X.
Electricity load forecasting via tensor regression with model averaging.
(Under review)
Zhang, H., Bu, Q., and Zhang, X.
Weighted deep ensemble under misspecification.
(Under review)
Gao, Y., Liu, M., Bu, Q., Zhang, J., Li, J., Xiong, W., Liang, X., Li, C., Yang, W., Zhang, K., Dong, Y., Zhou, L., Zhuang, J., Gong, Z., Gao, Y., Fu, L., Xiao, T., Luo, L., Sun, W., Geng, Y., Song, Y., Jiang, M., Liu, W., Duan, Z., Yang, L., Song, Q., Lu, H., Zhang, X., and Hu, Z.
A multicenter real-world study evaluating oral antiviral agents in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in China.
(Under review)
Gan, Q., Zhang, H., Gao, Y., Zhu, R., Bu, Q., Wang, Q., Gao, Y., Zhao, Y., Wang, J., and Zhang, X.
Hemoglobin and serum ferritin in late pregnancy and risks of adverse neonatal and maternal outcomes in a Chinese population: a retrospective cohort study (ORIENT study).
(Under review)
Bu, Q., Su, W., Zhao, X., and Liu, Z.
Identification and inference for structural accelerated failure time models via instrument interactions.
(Working paper)
Bu, Q., Su, W., Zhang, X., and Zhao, X.
Tackling high-dimensional challenges in deep neural networks through model averaging.
(Working paper)
Brown, N. L., and Bu, Q.
An averaging alternative to pre-trend testing.
(Working paper)

🎤 Talks