Dr. Lei Zou Presents Fine-Tuned LLM Research at Gulf Conference 2026

GEAR Lab is pleased to share that Dr. Lei Zou attended Gulf Conference 2026 in Mobile, Alabama, as an Early-Career Research Fellow of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Gulf Research Program. The conference brought together researchers, practitioners, and community partners working to advance the resilience and sustainability of the Gulf region.

During the conference, Dr. Zou delivered a research presentation titled “Fine-Tuned Large Language Models for Natech Analytics.” The work explores how fine-tuned large language models can support the analysis of natural-hazard-triggered technological accidents, or Natechs, by extracting structured datasets and actionable insights from complex, historical text-based incident data.

The research was part of the $1.5 million Climate-LEAD project funded by the NASEM Gulf Research Program, for which Dr. Zou serves as principal investigator. The study was led by Haoyu Yang and Dr. Qingsheng Wang, Haoyu’s Ph.D. advisor and a co-principal investigator of Climate-LEAD, in collaboration with Dr. Zou. Their work highlights the potential of responsible artificial intelligence and advanced language models to strengthen Natech risk analysis and support more resilient Gulf communities.

The conference also offered valuable opportunities for professional exchange and reconnection. Dr. Zou met with his former Ph.D. dissertation committee member, Dr. Margaret Reams of Louisiana State University, and engaged with colleagues from across the Gulf research community.

His participation reflects GEAR Lab’s continued commitment to interdisciplinary research at the intersection of geospatial science, artificial intelligence, climate resilience, and disaster risk reduction.