Arya Rao
Chair, AI Subgroup · IO Lab
Artificial intelligence for biology and medicine
Harvard–MIT MD–PhD Candidate · Broad Institute
Biography
Arya Rao is a Harvard–MIT MD–PhD candidate whose research connects artificial intelligence, biology, and clinical medicine. She chairs the AI subgroup at IO Lab at Mass General Brigham. Within the subgroup, she leads research on clinical decision support and AI-powered medical education.
Her work examines the scientific capabilities of AI, from systems for biological discovery and clinical reasoning to evaluations of frontier models. Her research has appeared in Nature, JAMA Network Open, NEJM AI, and JMIR.
At the Broad Institute, Rao conducts doctoral research with Pardis Sabeti and Sangeeta Bhatia. She uses machine learning to study human genetic adaptation and design regulatory DNA for therapeutic applications. She hopes to bring advances in AI and molecular medicine into patient care as a reconstructive surgeon-scientist.
Research in AI and medicine
Clinical AI and decision support
Rao studies how AI can support the reasoning and decisions that shape patient care. Her work evaluates language models across clinical workflows, including diagnostic reasoning, imaging recommendations, and medication management. These studies examine performance in the context of clinical tasks and the evidence needed before introducing AI into practice.
Simulation and medical education
Rao develops AI-powered standardized patients and clinical simulations for medical and surgical training. These tools let learners practice clinical reasoning and patient communication through repeatable encounters with structured feedback. Her research includes digital standardized patients for cultural dexterity in surgical care and the preparation of physicians to work with AI.
Selected recognition
- Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans
- Forbes 30 Under 30 · Healthcare
- Massachusetts Medical Society Information Technology Award
- Harvard Medical School Dean’s Innovation Award
- Harvard Presidential Public Service Fellowship
- Ladders to Cures Accelerator Award
Work with IO Lab
Research collaborations, medical technology, and education.