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
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