Healthcare innovation highlighted in AI Minister White City visit
The Minister for AI and Digital Government Feryal Clark MP talked extensively with researchers at Imperial’s Hammersmith Hospital Campus about the emerging role of AI tools in healthcare.
The new Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for AI and Digital Government Feryal Clarke MP – appointed last month – has paid an early visit to White City Innovation District to explore the cutting-edge AI tools now being harnessed to improve healthcare for patients.
During an in-depth tour of Imperial’s Hammersmith Hospital Campus, hosted by Imperial’s President Professor Hugh Brady, the Minister had the opportunity to learn more about Imperial’s vast Artificial Intelligence Network. The new Network spans all faculties of Imperial – from Engineering, Natural Sciences and Medicine to the Business School – bringing together over 1,000 researchers to accelerate the safe development and deployment of AI technologies, including their crucial application within the healthcare ecosystem.
As part of the Ministerial visit, Imperial also laid out its plans to create a new School for Human and Artificial Intelligence – one of four new major Schools of Convergence Science – plus a new World Economic Forum Centre for AI-Driven Innovation aimed at boosting Imperial’s convening power and enhancing interdisciplinary research.
AI’s TRANSFORMATIVE ROLE IN HEALTHCARE
The Minister attended a demonstration of a new AI tool that can detect signs of ageing in medical scans and provide an image of an individual’s “heart age”. Professor Declan O’Regan explained how researchers have been able to leverage new 3D scans powered by Machine Learning (ML) to assess whether or not a person’s heart is ageing at a healthy rate, which can be a useful predictor of the future risk of developing disease.
“By leveraging medical imaging and AI to create a digital model of the heart, we gain deeper insights into people’s genetics and biological age, allowing us to discover new treatments. Our goal is to extend the period of healthy living for as long as possible.” – Professor Declan O’Regan, BHF Professor of Cardiovascular and Head of the Computational Cardiac Imaging Group at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences
Researchers further showcased an AI tool that is able to automatically measure sarcopenia – the progressive loss of muscle mass and strength – linked to surgical and cancer treatment outcomes. Professor Andrea Rockall, Clinical Chair in Radiology, demonstrated how the deep-learning automated tool can take a patient’s CT scan and rapidly calculate the muscle mass in a specific region, supporting clinical workflow and potentially relieving workload pressures on the NHS.
The Minister also heard more about Imperial’s pioneering role in developing the next generation of researchers, leaders and entrepreneurs that will lead the application of AI across healthtech, public health and health services. Professor Aldo Faisal – Professor of AI & Neuroscience in the Department of Computing and the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial – outlined how the UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in AI for Healthcare and the UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Digital Healthcare – collectively known as AI4Health – are involved in training researchers to develop AI-based diagnostics tools that can detect disease at an earlier stage, as well as maximise the healthy life span of citizens through the roll-out of AI-informed digital public health technologies.
Professor Faisal particularly highlighted the AI Clinician tool, which can recommend a range of medical interventions to human clinicians – such as prescribing drugs or changing doses – by distilling data gleaned from millions of treated patients. The AI Clinician is currently being piloted for intensive care patients with sepsis in NHS hospitals in North West London.
Supporting AI spin-outs
- Cogitat
Imperial spinout Cogitat is developing a brain-computer interface, uses AI to read brain waves and turn them into digital commands. Cogitat is now exploring the use of the technology to be used medically to aid upper limb rehabilitation in stroke patients. - Vera.AI
Co-founded by Imperial students, Vera.AI is a platform seeking to transform hormonal and gynaecological health management using AI to create hyper-personalised guidance that can reduce misdiagnosis, particularly in women’s health.
Imperial WestTech Corridor: innovation, entrepreneurship & technological advancement
In the final leg of the day’s visit, the Minister toured the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) building, a brand-new biomedical research institute based at the Hammersmith Hospital Campus and part of Imperial’s Faculty of Medicine. The hosts shared how the LMS is uniquely convening scientists and clinicians to foster collaboration and advance the understanding of biology and its application to medicine through access to state-of-the-art research facilities.
Imperial’s new strategic initiative, Imperial WestTech Corridor, convenes a unique set of innovation assets to act as a powerful catalyst for investment, jobs and inclusive growth across the West London area. The Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust is an important partner in this initiative – both in the White City Innovation District, anchored by the research-led Hammersmith Hospital and White City Deep Tech campuses, and across the Paddington Life Sciences cluster centred around St Mary’s Hospital.
Imperial WestTech Corridor is the culmination of a shared goal to create a world-leading hub for innovation, entrepreneurship and technological advancement, plus a global beacon of scientific imagination. You can find out more about this major initiative and its pathfinder innovation assets at the Imperial website.
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