The Health Intelligence (HINT) Lab, led by Dr. Jiancheng Yang,
is being established at the ELLIS Institute Finland and
Aalto University in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
The group focuses on AI for healthcare, with particular emphasis on
spatial intelligence, generative AI, and multimodal learning.
The next step for medical AI is scaling. Our goal is to build clinically ready foundation models that
span the spectrum of healthcare, as well as world models that reproduce, predict, and interact with
clinical observations. Ultimately, we aim to extend intelligence from the virtual to physical clinical
scenarios.
The Bitter Lesson (Richard S. Sutton, 2019)
taught us that “general methods that leverage computation are ultimately the most effective.”
Yet scaling medical AI faces intrinsic challenges, from data shortage and
technical readiness to ethical concerns, financial feasibility, cultural viability, and business
sustainability. Nevertheless, we believe the timing is right: breakthroughs in spatial intelligence,
generative AI, and multimodal learning are opening a clear trajectory forward.
We are fortunate to be backed by strong resources: growing public databases, even larger proprietary
datasets, established clinical collaborations, and powerful compute through the ELLIS Institute, Aalto
University, and Finland's
CSC/LUMI supercomputer.
Join us on this journey to shape the future of AI for healthcare and make real-world impact.
Who We Are Looking For
We are looking for talented members to conduct curiosity-driven research:
A strong passion for AI for healthcare,
especially in spatial intelligence (e.g., 3D/geometric deep learning, digital twins, mixed reality),
generative AI, multimodal learning, and agentic AI.
If our vision excites you, that is the most important sign of a good match.
Background in EECS, BME, or a related STEM field.
Hands-on AI experience is required. Prior experience in healthcare or biomedicine is not necessary, but
a strong interest and motivation to work on interdisciplinary research in medical AI is essential.
Strong coding and problem-solving skills. Experience with multi-GPU/multi-node training, biomedical AI,
notable open source, or clinical collaboration is a plus.
Open Positions
Short note: I carefully review every email, but I may not always be able to respond immediately.
Please understand that this does not reflect on your qualifications or potential.
Doctoral/postdoctoral applications are reviewed in batches (so it may take some time), and only
shortlisted candidates will be notified.
Research interns are reviewed on a rolling basis; If you do not hear back within two weeks,
please assume I am unable to proceed at the moment,
though you are welcome to send a follow-up in case your message was overlooked.
Doctoral Researchers (=PhD Students)
Starting as soon as possible,
or in spring-fall 2026 through the central
ELLIS PhD Program (deadline in November).
In both cases, eligible group members can later be nominated as official ELLIS PhDs.
Typically 4 years,
fully funded, approx. €3000/month + comprehensive benefits
(following Aalto University policy and Finnish social security).
In addition to the above requirements,
a master's degree (at the position start) and
sufficient English skills (at least IELTS 6.5 or equivalent)
are required.
To apply, send
(1) CV,
(2) transcript (official version required only at the pre-offer stage),
(3) names and contact details of 2-3 referees (to be contacted only at the pre-offer stage), and
(4) optional supporting documents (e.g. publications or thesis),
combined into *one single PDF* to my *Aalto email* (firstname [DOT] lastname [AT] aalto.fi),
together with a brief motivation email using the subject line
"HINT PhD - [Your Name] - [Starting]" (e.g. "HINT PhD - JC Yang - ASAP").
You will then be asked to complete this online screening form (TBD shortly).
Postdoctoral Researchers
Starting as soon as possible.
Eligible group members can later be nominated as official
ELLIS Postdocs.
Up to 3 years,
approx. €4000/month + comprehensive benefits
(following Aalto University policy and Finnish social security).
In addition to the above requirements,
a PhD degree (at the position start), relevant publications, and
sufficient English skills are required.
To apply, send
(1) CV including publication list,
(2) degree proofs (official version required only at the pre-offer stage),
(3) names and contact details of 2-3 referees (to be contacted only at the pre-offer stage), and
(4) optional supporting documents (e.g. publications or thesis),
combined into *one single PDF* to my *Aalto email* (firstname [DOT] lastname [AT] aalto.fi),
together with a brief motivation email using the subject line
"HINT Postdoc - [Your Name] - [Starting]" (e.g. "HINT Postdoc - JC Yang - Spring26").
You will then be asked to complete this online screening form (TBD shortly).
Research Interns / Visiting Students / Thesis Students / Collaborators
Open year-round.
Opportunities (>3 months, on-site or remote) range
from research internships to thesis supervision and visiting stays.
Paid positions are not our priority and can be highly selective.
I always have more ideas than available hands,
so there are usually ongoing projects with collaboration potential.
I welcome interns whose backgrounds align with my proposed ideas,
but I am also open to a more opportunistic approach:
if you have a strong background and compelling initial ideas
that I can meaningfully contribute to,
I am happy to explore together.
To apply, send
(1) CV and
(2) optional
supporting documents (e.g. publications or thesis),
combined into one single PDF to my Aalto email (firstname [DOT] lastname [AT] aalto.fi),
together with a brief motivation email using the subject line
"HINT [Intern/Visiting/Thesis/Collab] - [Your Name] - [Starting]"
(e.g. "HINT Intern - JC Yang - ASAP").
You will then be asked to complete this online screening form (TBD shortly).
What We Offer
Opportunities for Growth:
We offer the chance to tackle interdisciplinary (healthcare) research, grounded in first principles.
Members will also gain hands-on experience with large-scale AI models and infrastructures.
The skillset and mindset developed here will prepare you for strong careers,
whether in AI, healthcare, or beyond
(see also Positioning and Values of the HINT Lab).
Mentoring:
I provide hands-on guidance while respecting the ideas of all members,
with the goal of helping them grow into independent innovators, problem-solvers, and researchers.
I see my own success through the success of my students,
many of whom have published in top-tier venues and continued to PhD programs
at Harvard, MIT, ETH Zurich, and EPFL.
Compute:
We provide cutting-edge compute through the ELLIS Institute (exclusive access to 100+
H200 GPUs), Aalto University, and even larger resources from Finland's
EuroHPC/LUMI supercomputer.
Members will have the opportunity to run multi-node training with hundreds of GPUs,
resources on a scale rarely available in academia.
Data and Clinical Resources:
We have accumulated large-scale proprietary datasets,
in some areas exceeding national-level databases.
In addition, we maintain strong clinical collaborations
that allow us to expand resources and conduct clinical validation,
supporting our flagship projects.
Collaboration and Networking:
I have worked and collaborated across Europe, Asia, and the US, and
I actively connect students to my network, including top institutes and
the broader ELLIS community.
We also provide support for attending international conferences and exchange opportunities.
More Information
Positioning and Values of the HINT Lab
Healthcare is vast, and as an academic lab we cannot and should not attempt to cover everything.
Rather than chasing a "generalist" dream,
we aim to create clinically oriented specialist foundation models
that are narrow but deep, and world-leading in their niche.
Well-known exemplars from the community include
SMPL for human reconstruction and
FreeSurfer for neuroimaging.
My understanding of real-world healthcare needs also comes from my past experience as a
medical AI entrepreneur,
with NMPA-approved (China's FDA) products and multi-million-dollar venture funding.
This background shapes the way we think and work at the HINT Lab.
We are a technical lab targeting first-of-its-kind innovation, with the ambition to translate
research into real-world impact.
We are engineers: we solve problems within and beyond the scope of AI.
We are also scientists: we seek to understand why and emphasize technical elegance.
We solve real challenges, not just pursue numbers or publications, though we often achieve those
too.
We appreciate clinical collaborations, but we are not satisfied with quick fixes.
We value hard work, but smart work even more.
We believe, with Margaret Mead, that “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed
citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
About ELLIS Institute Finland, Aalto University, and Living in Finland
Aalto University is a multidisciplinary community in the
fields of science, business, and art & design.
Established in 2010, it is the highest ranked university in Finland (QS #114) and
a vibrant hub for interdisciplinary research, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
Helsinki and Finland consistently rank among the top worldwide in education, equality, safety,
and quality of life.
Finland offers excellent living conditions and comprehensive social security,
whether for individuals or families, and has been repeatedly ranked
as the happiest country in the world
(World Happiness Report).
Alumni
Prior to my PI role, I have regularly mentored students both in person and remotely.
These collaborations have been productive, resulting in quite a few publications.
Several of my mentees have also been admitted to top PhD programs,
including Harvard, MIT, ETH Zurich, and EPFL,
and many of them remain my active collaborators.
