Xinhe Zhang
I am a PhD candidate in Electrical Engineering at Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, primarily based in the research sector of Massachusetts General Hospital. My research focuses on multimodal AI for biomedical sciences. Specifically, I am interested in how representation learning can integrate information across biomedical data modalities to uncover clinically and scientifically meaningful insights. Before starting my PhD, I received my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. I am fortunate to be mentored by and collaborate with many outstanding scholars.
My path so far has developed across three distinct but connected areas:
- Software engineering: My earlier work as a full-stack software engineer gave me practical experience designing, building, and deploying reliable software systems. This foundation continues to shape how I approach research, particularly in developing robust computational pipelines, scalable infrastructure, and tools that can move beyond proof-of-concept prototypes.
- Biotechnology: My academic and research trajectory has been shaped by an interest in biological and biomedical problems. This perspective has helped me appreciate the complexity of biological systems, the importance of domain knowledge, and the need for computational methods that are scientifically grounded rather than purely technical.
- AI for biomedical sciences: My current research brings these experiences together through multimodal AI for biomedical sciences. I am interested in developing models that can integrate diverse biomedical data modalities, support scientific discovery, and contribute to more effective analysis and decision-making in biomedical research and clinical contexts.
More broadly, I am motivated by work that sits between engineering rigor, biological complexity, and clinical relevance. Outside of research, I enjoy searching for the best freshly roasted coffee beans in the greater Boston area and catching performances at Central Square Theater or the Huntington Theatre.