A new European Doctoral training unit (DTU) focused on AI-driven healthcare has been launched on 22 November 2024, aiming to train the next generation of leaders in precision medicine. This initiative called AIPD, led by Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing (SCAI) in Bonn, Germany and funded by a prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions grant from the European Union, brings together prominent institutions from across Europe, with Luxembourg playing a major role. Principal investigators of the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) and the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) will be involved in the supervision of 8 of the 14 PhD positions, with the goal to contribute significantly to the development of novel AI strategies for healthcare, particularly in the context of Parkinson’s disease.
AIPD kick-off meeting on 22 November
Advancing precision medicine through AI
The DTU’s focus on Parkinson’s disease reflects the work accomplished in the last decade within the National Centre for Excellence in Research on Parkinson’s disease (NCER-PD) supported by the FNR PEARL Program Digital Medicine in Luxembourg. By developing and applying advanced AI methods for this rapidly growing neurological disorder, the DTU aims to create precise tools to predict disease progression and offer personalised treatment support. Through their research, students learn how to pave the way for more effective and individualised patient care.
Providing an interdisciplinary curriculum
In addition to the research, the DTU’s curriculum emphasizes the importance of socioeconomic, ethical, and legal considerations in AI-driven healthcare. It fosters direct exchange with patients and healthcare professionals to facilitate integration of AI solutions into healthcare services. Jointly with industry partners, the students will be trained in data security and privacy aspects (General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance, European Health Data Space, Data Governance Act), and new regulatory procedures (Medical Device regulation – software as a medical device, Health Technology Assessment Regulation Act) – all in the light of the forthcoming European AI Act. Hence, the DTU aims to equip them with the knowledge to navigate the complex regulatory landscape of medical data science.
Interdisciplinary collaboration across Europe
The DTU integrates expertise from leading research institutions, as well as public and private healthcare service providers across Europe. In addition to research at their host institution, each PhD student will spend on average 18 months at one of the secondment partners in another discipline. Collaborations with leading global med-tech companies as well as with SMEs specializing in AI will provide students with invaluable hands-on experience, while partnerships with hospitals such as the (CHL) will ensure that the research remains closely aligned with clinical needs of people with Parkinson’s disease.
“The interdisciplinary nature of this program, coupled with its strong translational focus, will prepare our PhD students to become the next generation of leaders in the field of AI-driven healthcare,” says Prof. Jochen Klucken, FNR PEARL Chair in Digital Medicine and principal investigator at the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine. “By fostering a new generation of AI specialists with a deep understanding of healthcare challenges, this initiative not only strengthens Luxembourg’s position as a leader in medical data science but also contributes to the broader European effort to advance personalised medicine and digital supported healthcare.”
A collaborative effort for future innovators
The LCSB is leading two key work packages: “PhD Training Program” and “Digital Health”, ensuring a comprehensive and interdisciplinary curriculum that combines cutting-edge AI and machine learning techniques with ethical considerations, regulatory frameworks, and a focus on patient outcomes.
In Luxembourg, two PhD positions will be hosted at the LCSB under the supervision of Prof. Jochen Klucken. The research will explore two pioneering projects:
- Stratification of clinical disease trajectories and prediction of individual rate of progression
This project aims to develop multimodal AI/ML models to stratify Parkinson’s disease patients by their disease progression rate. By analysing large amounts of clinical data, the project will provide insights into the variability of disease progression, potentially reshaping the design of clinical trial and improving patient management strategies. - Digital gait biomarkers for monitoring disease progression and treatment response
This project focuses on the role of sensor-derived parameters in clinical decision making. By using digital biomarkers obtained from wearable devices, the research aims to improve the accuracy of monitoring disease progression and assessing treatment efficacy in PD patients.
A further two PhD students will start at the Luxembourg Institute of Health under the supervision of Prof. Rejko Krüger. In addition to hosting these positions, LCSB and CHL will act as secondment partners and scientific supervisors for 4 additional PhD positions, ensuring a robust training experience that bridges academia and industry.
The recruitment process for the 14 PhD positions across Europe will start soon. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply via recruitment portal on the dedicated website of the AIPD consortium.
Collaboration partners within this European doctoral training unit on AI-driven healthcare (in alphabetical order):
- Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL) (Luxembourg)
- Erasmus Universitair Medisch Centrum Rotterdam (The Netherlands)
- Fraunhofer SCAI (Germany) – coordinator
- GE Healthcare
- IESE Business School (Spain)
- Ki:elements (Germany)
- Novo Nordisk (Denmark)
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB)/University of Luxembourg (Luxembourg)
- Luxembourg Institute of Health (Luxembourg)
- Paris Brain Institute (France)
- Petanux (Germany)
- Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) (Ireland)
- Université de Namur (Belgium)
- Università di Pisa (Italy)
- University of Bonn (Germany)