Join SmartX Lab

The SmartX Lab at HKUST, led by Dr. Hao Chen, is actively recruiting PhD/MPhil students, postdoctoral fellows, research assistants, visiting interns and software engineers. The lab is committed to advancing cutting-edge research at the intersection of artificial intelligence and biomedicine, with strong academic and translational support for group members.

Who Are We

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is a top and internationally renowned research university (ranked 34th in the world in the 2022 QS World University Rankings, ranked the 10th in the world under the subject of Data Science and AI). HKUST is located on the Clear Water Bay in Hong Kong. It is built on the mountain facing the sea and has an ideal research environment. The Department of Computer Science and Engineering of HKUST ranks among the best in the world ranking of computer science and engineering.

Recruitment Details

PhD/Mphil students can be enrolled in the spring or fall of each year, and a full scholarship (about HKD 18,500 per month) will be provided, and those who are outstanding are recommended to apply for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS). The amount of the HKPFS is around HKD 26,600 per month, plus a travel allowance of HKD 13,300 each year. In addition, HKUST gives each awardee a one-time reward of HKD 40,000. For more details, please refer to postgraduate admission page: https://cse.hkust.edu.hk/pg/admissions/

Postdoctoral fellows holding a doctorate in medical image analysis, artificial intelligence or computer vision are welcome. The requirements are as follows:

• Strong programming in deep learning frameworks, e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, etc. Experience in medical image analysis or machine learning projects is preferred.
• Publications in top-tier AI or medical image analysis conferences/journals such as MICCAI, CVPR, TMI, MIA, AAAI, IJCAI, etc, are preferred.
• Strong self-motivation and curiosity are preferred.
• For undergraduate and master students, research positions such as visiting intern and research assistant are also available. A minimum of 3 months is required (remote mode is also acceptable).

More details can be found in this link.

Software engineers with strong programming skills in the development of deep learning frameworks, e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, etc. are welcome. The requirements are as follows:

• Strong programming skills in deep learning frameworks, e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, etc.
• Familiarity with full-stack application development, e.g., React, Node.js, etc.
• Contributions to high-performance deployment of deep learning models (e.g., via software packages vLLM, etc.) are preferred.
• Experience in medical image analysis or machine learning projects is preferred.

More details can be found in this link.

Research assistant with medical background are welcome. The requirements are as follows:

• Medical Imaging/Slide Digitization: Coordinate acquisition and digitization of diverse materials (pathology slides/WSI, immunohistochemistry slides, cytology smears, radiology studies—DICOM CT/MRI/Ultrasound, intraoperative/macroscopic photos, related attachments). Handle equipment scheduling/operation and basic QC.
• Archiving & Data Management: Implement standardized file naming, directory structure, and metadata recording (case ID, collection date, device parameters, staining type). Maintain inventories and logs; ensure orderly storage, backup, and access control.

More details can be found in this link.

How to Apply

Interested candidates are welcome to send their resumes, transcripts, published papers and other relevant materials to Prof. Chen’s email: jhc@ust.hk. Please indicate the application position in the subject of email.