Danli Shi

Danli Shi

Research Assistant Professor, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Vision Intelligence Lab

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

We build foundation models, multimodal agents, and autonomous clinical AI systems for vision science and medicine, with ophthalmology and optometry as our core testbed.

I am a Research Assistant Professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. I received my PhD from Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center under the supervision of Prof. Mingguang He, and my BS and MS from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Research Direction

Generative AI for Ophthalmology Retinal image, fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, and multimodal generation. Medical AI Agents Interactive systems for reasoning, diagnosis, VQA, retrieval, doctor-patient-EHR assistance, and clinical decision support. Oculomics and Digital Biomarkers Retinal and choroidal biomarkers for systemic disease prediction, population health, and preventive medicine. Autonomous Clinical Intelligence Human-robot collaboration, embodied AI, and deployable clinical intelligence for future autonomous clinics.

Join Us

We welcome PhD students, research assistants, interns, visiting students, and undergraduate researchers in AI, computer science, biomedical engineering, ophthalmology, optometry, medicine, and related fields.

Requirements

  1. Strong research interest, self-motivation, and leadership qualities.
  2. Demonstrated excellence through at least one of the following:
    • A bachelor’s degree from a highly ranked university
    • An exceptional GPA
    • Multiple high-quality publications

How to Apply

Email danli.shi@polyu.edu.hk with your CV, transcript, a brief research proposal, and representative work. Subject: “Prospective PhD / RA / Intern + your name + university”.

HKPFS · September 2027 entry: Apply to RGC by 1 December 2026, 12:00 noon, then submit your PolyU application with the HKPFS reference number by 23:59 the same day (Hong Kong time, UTC+8). See the official application guide.

Scholarships & Funding

PolyU offers fellowships and scholarships to support outstanding research students worldwide.

Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS)

HK$344,400 annual stipend

  • Tuition fee waiver and HK$14,400 annual conference grant.
  • Cash award: HK$40,000 in Year 1; HK$20,000 per year thereafter during the normal study period.
  • Guaranteed university accommodation place for 2 years.
HKPFS details & application guide
Other fellowships & scholarships
  • Kuok Group Fellowship: HK$340,800 annual stipend, tuition fee waiver, HK$25,000 conference grant, and HK$20,000 international exchange allowance.
  • PPPFS: HK$340,800 annual stipend, tuition fee waiver, and HK$25,000 conference grant.
  • IPFS: For eligible foreign PhD applicants; HK$230,640 annual stipend (HK$235,920 after confirmation of registration), tuition fee waiver, and HK$25,000 conference grant.
  • PRPgS: HK$230,640 annual stipend (HK$235,920 for PhD students after confirmation of registration) and HK$25,000 conference grant. Automatic consideration through RPgAdmission.

Kuok and PPPFS also include cash awards of HK$40,000 in Year 1 and HK$20,000 per year thereafter during the normal study period; IPFS may offer the same awards to outstanding applicants. All four schemes offer eligibility for a university hall place for 1 year.

Schemes are mutually exclusive. Eligibility, renewal, and benefits are subject to PolyU's official terms.

News

Group Members

Ph.D. Students

  • Kunhong Xiao (2026.09-)
  • Xinyu Hou (2026.09-)
  • Xuze Wang [Kuok Fellowship] (2026.09-)
  • Ying Zhang (2026.09-)
  • Zhongyu Chen (2026.09-): Robotics
  • Bingjie Yan (2025.09-): Agentic AI
  • Ziyu Gao (2025.09-): Generative AI, World model
  • Zhenhan Wang (2025.09-): ChatMyopia
  • Zhuoran Liu (2025.09-): Digital biomarker
  • Xinyuan Wu (2025.09-): Embodied AI
  • Bowen Liu (2025.09-): Digital twin
  • Xiaolan Chen (2024.09-): Agentic AI
  • Yue Wu [PPPFS] (2024.09-): Generative AI, drug discovery

MPhil Students

  • Zhibo Wang (2026.01-): Robotics

URIS

  • Theresa Shukrani Mulindwa, DSAI, 2026-2028

Visiting student

  • Ke Li, PhD student, 2025-2026

Capstone student, 2025-2026

  • TONG Anson
  • SO Kam Chun
  • KWOK Wing Tung
  • LAI Kin Ming

Alumni

  • Weiyi Zhang, PhD student, Best Research Postgraduate Student of PolyU (2025), 2023-2026
  • Ruoyu Chen, PhD student, 2023-2026
  • Jie Li, Master student, MScVSI Innovative Research Project Group Award, 2025-2026
  • Yiqi Ma, Master student, MScVSI Innovative Research Project Group Award, 2025-2026
  • Qi Zhou, Master student, MScVSI Innovative Research Project Group Award, 2025-2026
  • Wanrong Yang, Research assistant, 2025-2026
  • Pusheng Xu, Research assistant, 2024-2025
  • Lili Wang, Student assistant, 2024-2025
  • Mayinuer Yusufu, Exchange student, 2024-2025

Service

Teaching

  • AI in Healthcare (SO1D02, CAR subject for undergraduates) - 2025 - present
  • Digital Health (SO5001, MSc in Vision Science and Innovation) - 2025 - present

Professional Activities

  • Conference co-organizer, Asia-Pacific Tele-Ophthalmology Society
  • Awards Officer, Women in MICCAI
  • Reviewer for npj Digital Medicine, Nature Computational Science, Nature Communications, Progress in Retinal and Eye Research, British Journal of Ophthalmology, Ophthalmology Science, JMIR, Pattern Recognition Letters, Expert Systems with Applications, Biomedical Signal Processing and Control, and MICCAI

RMHAS: Retina-Based Microvascular Health Assessment System

Demo website: https://translateretina.com/rmhas

Contact

Danli Shi
Research Assistant Professor, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Office: GH164
Email: danli.shi@polyu.edu.hk

I am happy to discuss research collaborations, student supervision, invited talks, workshops, and interdisciplinary projects at the interface of AI and healthcare.

© Danli Shi.
Last updated: Oct 2026.