Mahsa Shalchy, PhD

Sr. Applied ML Scientist @ Grainger | Agentic AI Developer

Chicago, Illinois, United States

About

I'm currently a Senior Applied ML Scientist at Grainger. Prior to that, I worked in healthcare and talent technology, building LLM-powered applications and agentic AI systems for production. I completed my postdoctoral research at the University of Chicago, utilizing Python and deep learning to study the effects of schizophrenia on cognitive functions. I hold a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience, where I used big data, statistical testing, and machine learning to understand human emotion and cognition.

Experience

  • Senior Applied Machine Learning Scientist at Grainger
    Jan 2026 - Present · 7 mos

  • Advocate Health (Full-time · 1 yr)
    • Senior Data Scientist
      Apr 2025 - Jan 2026 · 10 mos

    • Data Scientist
      Feb 2025 - Apr 2025 · 3 mos

  • Heidrick & Struggles (2 yrs 11 mos)
    • Data Scientist II
      Jan 2025 - Feb 2025 · 2 mos

    • Data Scientist
      Apr 2022 - Feb 2025 · 2 yrs 11 mos

      - Developed AI and ML solutions with large language models (LLMs) and natural language processing (NLP) to streamline and automate talent management processes, such as talent search. - Built and deployed RAG-based talent recommendation systems with conversational interfaces using LangChain and vector databases. - Collaborated with cross-functional teams to optimize AI/ML application performance, improving load times and reducing latency for production talent management systems.

  • Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Chicago
    Sep 2021 - Apr 2022 · 8 mos

    - Using Python and deep neural networks (CNNs, RNNs), built models to predict biomarkers associated with schizophrenia, facilitating early-stage clinical diagnostics - Ingested, transformed, and maintained clinical data, ensuring HIPAA compliance and enhancing data quality for classification and regression modeling - Applied statistical techniques (causal inference, time-series analysis, survival analysis) to analyze clinical data, improving understanding of cognitive decline and mental health outcomes

  • University of California, Riverside (5 yrs 1 mo)
    • Graduate Research Associate
      Sep 2016 - Sep 2021 · 5 yrs 1 mo

      - Developed automated feature extraction pipelines to process biometric data (EEG, fMRI, pupil), session data, unstructured text, and assessment results. - Applied causal inference and Bayesian methods for data quality control and outlier detection, revealing insights into cognitive and emotional health during memory and stress-related tasks. - Built machine learning and deep learning models—including linear regression, logistic regression, XGBoost, CNNs, and RNNs—to analyze behavioral and biometric data, identifying biomarkers related to memory function and stress response. - Created time series models (ARMA, ARIMA) to predict engagement patterns in gamified cognitive assessments app, leveraging UX analysis to optimize app features.

    • Graduate Teaching Assistant
      Sep 2016 - Aug 2021 · 5 yrs

      - Teaching Assistant for courses: -- Introductory Psychology -- Sensation and Perception -- Neuroscience of Brain and Behavior -- Advanced Statistical Research Methods -- Mixed Research Methods - Taught discussion sessions to reinforce course concepts and fostered student engagement through interactive learning. - Provided personalized feedback on assignments and supported the instructor with course preparation, grading, and student progress tracking. - Completed the Teaching Assistant Development Program (TADP), enhancing instructional and student engagement skills.