AI for Medical Imaging, Digital Twins & Medicine

CSE Distinguished Seminar

Speaker: Professor Nicholas Ayache
Research Director, Inria
Scientific Director of the Interdisciplinary AI Institute 3IA Côte d'Azur

Title: AI for Medical Imaging, Digital Twins & Medicine

Date: Tuesday, 18 March 2025

Time: 11:00am - 12:00noon

Venue: Room 2504 (via lift 25/26), HKUST

Abstract:

Artificial intelligence and deep learning algorithms have brought about a revolution in medical image analysis with performance that rivals that of medical specialists. AI can also help build a digital twin of the patient from its medical images and additional information (clinical, biological, behavioral, environmental, etc.). This digital twin can be used to guide diagnosis, and then to simulate, optimize and guide therapy. In this talk, I will illustrate these steps as well as the role of mathematical and biophysical models of anatomy and physiology in forcing these digital medicine algorithms to deliver reliable and interpretable results. Finally, I will list a number of remaining challenges to be addressed by the scientific community.

Biography:

Nicholas Ayache is a research director at Inria, where he leads the EPIONE research team, dedicated to the digital patient and digital medicine. He is also the Scientific Director of the Interdisciplinary AI Institute 3IA Côte d'Azur, where he holds a research chair. His current research focuses on the introduction of AI algorithms to guide the prevention, diagnosis, prognosis and therapy of patients based on their medical images and all available data.

N. Ayache is a member of the French Academy of Sciences and of the French Academy of Surgery. In 2013-2014 he was a visiting professor at the Collège de France, where he introduced a new course on the "personalized digital patient". He has received numerous prestigious awards including in 2020 the International Steven Hoogendijk Award, in 2014 the Grand Prix Inria-Académie des science, in 2012-2017 an advanced ERC Grant from the European Research Council, in 2008 the Microsoft Grand Prize for Research in Europe (Royal Society), and in 2006 the EADS Foundation Information Science Award.

N. Ayache published over 400 highly cited scientific articles and a dozen of industrial patents, and co-founded seven high-tech companies. He has been a member of several strategic boards in France and abroad.

Further information: https://www-sop.inria.fr/members/Nicholas.Ayache/ayache.html

Publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=29XL16UAAAAJ