AI/ML Engineer Involved in the Full Product Life-Cycle

Name: Lambert Leong

PhD: Bioengineering, University of Hawaii, 2023

What was your main area of research?

During my PhD and Postdoc my research included developing machine learning models, specifically vision based models, to identify imaging signals related to cancer risk and detection. I also conducted research on 3D imaging and 3D shape models to better study obesity and obesity-related diseases.

What is your current job?

I am a Senior AI/ML Engineer for United Health Group in Bellevue, Washington.

I develop AI and ML models, focused on NLP, for medical service recommendation systems. I also develop solutions to better track medical service utilization and provide data-driven insight to answer questions such as "is this medical procedure typical" or "What other personalized care options do I have".

What is your favorite thing about your job?

I love the fact that the ML model you spend so much time and effort on gets pushed to production and used by real people. In other words, being involved in the full product life-cycle.

What is the most important skill you developed or experience you had during your PhD that now helps you in your current position?

The ability to dive deep quickly and arrive at an answer to the hypothesis. Equally important, is to communicate findings and ask clarifying questions to understand the scope of the work and problem before diving in.

How did you build the skills necessary for your current role?

Networking with friends and code calling strangers who are in the industry and near roles I was seeking. Leet code is extremely helpful for those seeking coding (IC) like roles.

How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?

Linkedin and researching on the web.

PhD graduate ➡️ postdoctoral fellow ➡️ Sr. AI/ML Engineer

If someone is interested in a similar role, what would you recommend they start doing now to prepare?

Get a good foundational understanding of machine learning, make sure the coding fundamentals are solid, and have a few projects you've worked on that you are able to dive deep on.

Also, start connecting with people in similar roles

Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?

I was seeking an environment where what I develop, through my research, gets used by others. The majority of projects in academia end with the paper publication and not with productization. It was an extremely hard decision to leave because I had multiple grants and funding opportunities in the works which I had to forfeit or would have had to forfeit.

What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?

Get an internship. My advisor discouraged and offered us double pay in the summers, but it put me in a less favorable position for possible transitions out to industry. It also did not help my potential in academia.

Are there any components of your identity you would like to share, including how they have impacted your journey?

I am dyslexic which has had an impact on my journey. When possible, I was given extra time on standardized tests based evaluations which was useful in some coding interviews.