Meet the new ELLIS Institute PIs: Azade Farshad advances AI for medical applications
A childhood interest in robotics propelled Azade Farshad to the field of artificial intelligence (AI). “I was working on the general applications of image generation and manipulation, and then I saw how it can help the medical domain and that motivated me to turn my research towards simulating surgery,” says Farshad, who has recently joined ELLIS Institute Finland as a principal investigator. In addition to smart applications for surgery, Farshad has expertise in how machines simulate and understand scenes. Generating and manipulating images and videos of medical scenes is essential for developing the next-generation tools that can be useful to doctors, she says.
Following a postdoc at the Technical University of Munich, Farshad has now relocated to Aalto University, where she is also an assistant professor. A previous visit to Helsinki for an ELLIS workshop left a good impression and compelled her to apply. Though the ELLIS Institute call for principal investigators was extremely competitive, the hiring process and environment were friendly, she says. Now Farshad is focused on hiring PhD students and postdocs with strengths in both general and medical applications of AI.
Having received strong support during her PhD and early career, Farshad is eager to give back. “Younger researchers may not see many women in this field and can feel demotivated. They should be able to approach and talk to senior researchers. I’ve volunteered as a mentor at conferences and will continue doing that as opportunities come up.” The experience of community organizing, such as arranging workshops, is also something Farshad plans to continue with her own students.
Farshad advises students to be curious. “Curiosity and interest will keep you motivated to try to find solutions.” She also recommends the freedom of academic research over a career in industry. “If you want to follow your own dreams and also be impactful, the university is the right environment.”
This news item was originally published on the Aalto University website on 8.12.2025
Read more news
AI for Food Science workshop sparks international collaboration
How can universities, research institutes, and food companies work together to harness the power of emerging AI for food science? University of Helsinki organized a dedicated workshop, bringing leading European researchers and industry experts to the same table.
RealYou AI will develop the next generation of personalized AI decision assistants
Researchers to build cognitive machine learning that will improve decision-making with instantly personalized intelligent assistance.
Europe’s best AI literacy initiative for education comes from Finland
Generation AI, a Finnish initiative for AI literacy in education and research, has won the European Union’s 2026 Digital Skills Award for promoting AI literacy among children and young people. The award ceremony was held in Brussels on 30 June 2026.