ELLIS Institute Finland welcomes 9 new professors as principal investigators and PS Fellows
Institute's first recruitment brings nine leading researchers to Finland
Meet the new ELLIS Institute PIs: Azade Farshad advances AI for medical applications
Farshad’s research background is in computer vision and generative models.
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 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 ʵ 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.”
Contact:
Read more:
New Fundamentals: ELLIS Institute Finland launches with bold scientific ambitions
AI and ML for transforming R&D, enhancing human-AI teamwork, and creating exciting new science
ELLIS Institute Finland is a world-class research hub in AI and machine learning and part of the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS).
Read more news
Major funding powers development of next-generation machine technology aimed at productivity leap in export sectors
The BEST research project is developing new types of sealing, bearing, and damping technology.
The TAIMI project builds an equal working life – a six-year consortium project seeks solutions to recruitment and skill challenges
Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing skill requirements, the population is aging, and the labor shortage is deepening. Meanwhile, the potential of international experts often remains unused in Finland. These challenges in working life are addressed by the six-year TAIMI project funded by the Strategic Research Council, and implemented by a broad consortium.
Unite! Seed Fund 2026: Call opens on 20 January 2026
Gain an early overview of the Unite! Seed Fund Call of Spring 2026. The call includes three funding lines: Student Activities, Teaching and Learning, and Research and PhD.