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Aki Vehtari D.Sc. (Technology) has been appointed as an associate professor of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science (BECS). The subject matter covered by the professorship is computational science with a focus on probabilistic modelling.

Aki Vehtari was awarded his doctorate by the Helsinki University of Technology in 2001 and has since headed the Bayesian Methodology Group at Aalto BECS. The Bayesian probability theory provides an elegant and consistent paradigm for handling uncertainty in models by probability distributions. There are many applications for this kind of approach, for example in neuroscience and health sciences.

‘Here at Aalto, we're developing models and computational methods that can be of great benefit to brain research. We also develop models and methods for, for example, predicting the incidence of diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, and for planning more individualised treatment plans for cancer patients,’ says Vehtari, who has worked in close cooperation with the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare.

‘Planning treatment pathways and allocating resources accordingly can be carried out much more efficiently and effectively when the risks associated with a particular disease are known. This is greatly significant for people's health and the national economy,’ he emphasises.

Aki Vehtari is a co-author of the Bayesian Data Analysis book, which is considered by many to be one of the most important textbooks of Bayesian modelling.

Further information:
Associate professor Aki Vehtari
aki.vehtari@aalto.fi