Surgo Health Launches Inaugural Postgraduate Fellowship to Grow the Next Generation of Health AI Talent

New fellowship program brings top graduate talent in data science into Surgo Health's mission to explain and predict human behavior through foundational data and AI

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Surgo Health, a Public Benefit Corporation pioneering the Behavioral Intelligence layer for healthcare, today announced the launch of its first postgraduate fellowship, welcoming two fellows from one of the nation's leading schools of public health to work alongside its team.

The fellowship is part of the Future of Health Fellows program, an initiative of the Yale School of Public Health's (YSPH) Future of Health Innovation Hub. The program connects public health students and recent graduates with career opportunities in innovative companies and public and social sector organizations, including those advancing novel approaches to care delivery, data science, and technology. Surgo Health is the Hub's first postgraduate fellows partner. So Yon Jun and Yining Zhou, both recent YSPH graduates, have joined Surgo Health as its inaugural Data Science Fellows. Jun and Zhou will work with Surgo Health's research team, whose methodology is backed by more than 40 peer-reviewed publications.

"Academic rigor has always been at the heart of how we build our data and our products," said Dr. Sema Sgaier, Co-Founder and CEO of Surgo Health. "Having So Yon and Yining on the team is a great example of what that rigor looks like in practice—and we're excited to keep building this partnership with Yale."

"The Future of Health Fellows program opens new career pathways for public health students and graduates, particularly in industry, where their expertise can help shape how health innovations are developed and brought to scale," said Kaakpema "KP" Yelpaala, Senior Fellow and Inaugural Faculty Director of YSPH's Future of Health Innovation Hub. "Surgo Health was a natural partner for our inaugural postgraduate fellowships given its commitment to bringing rigorous, human-centered science into how healthcare organizations understand the people they serve."

Surgo Health and YSPH plan to build on the fellowship over time, with both organizations looking to highlight project milestones and expand to future cohorts of summer and postgraduate fellows.

About Surgo Health: Surgo Health is building the Behavioral Intelligence layer for healthcare, revealing why people behave as they do, predicting what they will do next, and helping organizations make the decisions that change outcomes.

A Public Benefit Corporation grounded in two decades of global health experience, Surgo generates foundational behavioral data that reveals the unseen why and builds the AI products that power decision-grade insights at population scale — equipping healthcare organizations, funders, and public agencies to act on what actually shapes health outcomes: people's beliefs, motivations, and barriers.

From predicting who will enroll and remain in a clinical trial, to understanding what drives treatment decisions, to designing more effective health programs, Surgo brings the missing human layer into decisions traditionally made with clinical data alone.

Backed by 40+ peer-reviewed publications and trusted by partners including the Gates Foundation, J&J, Takeda, Pivotal Ventures, and the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Surgo is building a future where healthcare organizations don't just understand human behavior, but anticipate it — making healthcare more personal, precise, and effective for everyone.

About the Yale School of Public Health: The Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) is a fully independent school within Yale University harnessing interdisciplinary collaboration, cutting-edge research, and community-driven solutions to create systems-level innovations. YSPH is at the forefront of transforming public health by linking science and society to tackle the most pressing health challenges of our time. YSPH's bold vision—making public health foundational to thriving communities everywhere—drives the education of the next generation of leaders who are equipped to address global and local health disparities. Through this work, YSPH is advancing public health science, shaping policy, and fostering trust in the health systems of tomorrow.

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SOURCE Surgo Health, PBC