Advancing Medicine with
Machine Learning

A ten‑week summer research fellowship pairing ML engineers with medical students and faculty physicians to tackle real clinical problems. Our 2026 cohort is now in the research sprint.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Independent medical machine learning research

Many of medicine's biggest challenges are problems of data, prediction, and decision-making. Solving them requires both clinical intuition and technical fluency. But those two worlds often do not meet.

We created The Tensor Lab to address this. Our 10-week summer fellowship pairs talented machine learning engineers with medical students and practicing physicians to lead focused research. Fellows can work either independently or in small teams. The result is meaningful translational research.

This is a remote, project-based unpaid fellowship to train future innovators to design and lead medical research, from idea to execution. And they'll be in a cohort of equally driven, curious, and talented students to learn from. Successful projects will lead to academic publication and even influence how care is delivered to real patients.

The technical lead

Machine Learning Fellow

The fellow acts as the technical lead on the project, working alongside a medical student under the supervision of a faculty physician. Ten to fifteen hours per week from June through August, remote.

  • Presents research at our national symposium
  • Named authorship on any publications arising from their work
  • A reference letter from the faculty physician advisor on request
View 2026 Projects
The medical lead

Medical Student Mentor

A medical student who framed the research question and helps interpret results. Coordinates with the faculty physician and translates between the clinic and the technical side.

The faculty physician advisor

Physician Principal Investigator

A practicing physician and published researcher who sponsors the project, secures data access, and sets the scientific standard. Frequent check-ins with the team.

BY THE NUMBERS

Summer 2026 at a glance

Our second cohort is the largest yet, spanning two institutions, fourteen faculty physicians, and fifteen independent research projects now in the summer sprint.

15 Research Projects
14 Faculty Advisors
2 Institutions
7 Studies from 2025
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Do fellows need a medical background?

No. The medical lead and faculty physician advisor provide clinical context. The program is designed for strong technical contributors to pick up the clinical side as they go.

How many hours per week during the sprint?

Plan for ten to fifteen hours a week from June through August. Think of it like a serious research internship. If your circumstances shift, we can adjust.

What is the weekly cohort commitment?

You can expect one hour of curriculum plus a cohort meeting each week, on top of your project work with your team.

Is this remote or in person?

Remote by default. Teams meet over Zoom or Slack. Some chapters organize optional in person working sessions if there is geographic overlap.

Is this paid?

No. The fellowship is unpaid.

Who owns the code and the research?

We default to open science. Code is open sourced and all team members share authorship. Patient data stays under the physician advisor's institutional controls.

Who is eligible for the fellowship?

We consider current students, recent graduates, and career switchers with strong ML skills. The fellowship runs each summer, but participation is not limited to people on academic calendars.

How are project preferences handled?

Applicants rank three projects. If a first choice fills before an application is processed, the applicant stays in the running for their second and third choices and can update preferences when needed.

When do applications open for the next cohort?

We will announce application dates for the Summer 2027 cohort on this site. If you would like to be notified, email contact@thetensorlab.org.

LOOKING AHEAD

Stay connected

The Summer 2026 cohort is underway. If you are interested in future cohorts or want to collaborate with The Tensor Lab, we would love to hear from you.

Get in touch