Prospective Students

PhD Student Recruitment, The University of Hong Kong (HKU)

📢 Open position: 1 PhD student (Fall 2027)

I am recruiting one fully funded PhD student to start in Fall 2027. I am especially interested in applicants with experience in one or both of the following areas:

Single-cell and spatial omics: for example, single-cell RNA-seq, multiomics, or spatial transcriptomics data analysis
Medical imaging: for example, CT or MRI data processing, analysis, or modeling

A strong quantitative background (statistics, mathematics, computer science, or a related field) and solid programming skills (Python or R) are expected. To apply, follow the steps under Express Your Interest below.

I welcome applicants from diverse disciplinary backgrounds with a strong quantitative foundation.

Potential Research Directions:

For students with a strong mathematical and statistical background, potential research areas include:

Causal Inference
Interpretable Machine Learning
Statistical Network Analysis
Overparametrized Learning

For students with a strong engineering, computer science, or computational biology background, potential application areas include:

Single-Cell Multiomics and CRISPR Perturbation Analysis (AI for Science)
Quantitative Finance (with potential future industrial collaborations)

Students with experience in Large Language Models are welcome to explore opportunities to integrate this knowledge into any of the above research directions.

Application Process and Funding

Prospective students must apply through the official HKU postgraduate application portal. I highly encourage all interested candidates to explore and apply for funding opportunities offered by the university and the Hong Kong government. Securing external funding will significantly enhance your PhD journey and provide greater flexibility.

Here are some relevant links:

Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS): https://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/funding_opport/hkpfs/
HKU Postgraduate Scholarships: https://gradsch.hku.hk/prospective_students/fees_scholarships_and_financial_support/postgraduate_scholarships
Please check the IDS and SAAS website for specific funding opportunities that may arise.
Application Period: https://gradsch.hku.hk/prospective_students/application/application_period

While I strongly encourage you to pursue the funding options mentioned above, please know that funding will be provided to admitted students who are a strong fit for my research team but do not secure external funding.

Express Your Interest

Please review the HKU admission requirements before contacting me: https://gradsch.hku.hk/prospective_students/application/admission_requirement. If you are interested in working with me, email jinhongd@hku.hk with the subject line "PhD Application - Fall 2027". In your message, briefly introduce yourself, describe your research interests and motivation, indicate any preference for IDS or SAAS, and attach your CV and unofficial transcripts.

Research Team Vision

My aim is to build a compact, collaborative, and supportive research team where we can collectively contribute to cutting-edge research in statistics, machine learning, and science.