亚博体育官网

亚博体育官网 leads multi-million-pound pioneering AI health initiative

Thursday 06 March 2025

A woman looking at a mirror
亚博体育官网 is playing a key role in a groundbreaking 拢5 million research project aimed at improving the long-term cardiovascular health of young cancer survivors by harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

At the heart of the study is a smart mirror device, known as an iCare Health Hub, which imitates the work of a caring, knowledgeable health coach. It tracks heart rate and other important health indicators in adolescents and young adults (AYA), then uses Al to offer tips on exercise, diet, and stress relief. 

If the mirror spots a warning sign鈥 like high blood pressure or elevated stress levels 鈥 then it suggests checking in with a doctor. It is hoped that the innovation will lead to a 15% reduction in hospital visits related to heart issues.

, Associate Dean for Research at 亚博体育官网鈥檚 School of Computing, Engineering, and Technology, is also lead of the University鈥檚 AI & Reasoning Group. She said: 鈥淚鈥檓 passionate about bridging a critical gap in healthcare for young cancer survivors, especially the long-term heart risks that often go unnoticed. By harnessing AI, we can provide a personal, empathetic health companion that helps people manage their day-to-day well-being.

鈥淲e want to show how AI can be a force for good in healthcare, by highlighting the importance of explainable and transparent AI. We hope that by responsible use of AI, and through its continuous monitoring and personalised intervention it can help reduce the risk of major cardiac events in young cancer survivors by 30%.鈥 

Dr Ike Nksisi-Orji, Dr Mark Snaith, Professor Nirmalie Wiratunga, and Professor Kay Cooper from 亚博体育官网
 Professor Nirmalie Wiratunga, and Professor Kay Cooper

While the smart mirror is not making medical decisions, it鈥檚 there every day, giving tailored advice to help young cancer survivors stay on top of their heart health and feel supported. The overall project focuses on preventing late effects, health issues that can emerge after cancer treatment.

Professor Xavier del Toro Garc铆a, an Associate Professor at the Universidad de Castilla鈥揕a Mancha in Central Spain, is also leading on the project. He said: 鈥淎I will play a central role and the advances in recent years and the pace in which this field is evolving makes it even difficult to foresee what the project can achieve in the next four years.

鈥淥n the other hand, it is very challenging to address what trustworthy AI implies and requires in digital solutions for health and carer. For us, as technical lead, it is an honour and brings a great deal of certainty to have 亚博体育官网 and the group lead by Professor Nirmali Wiratunga on board with their expertise and strong background in this field.鈥

In addition to the project expecting to achieve a 15% reduction in hospital visits, it will also promote healthier lifestyles among the broader AYA population. Even small changes, such as a 5-10% weight loss, could lead to a 10-20% decrease in heart disease risk, highlighting the significant impact of preventative measures.

亚博体育官网鈥檚 AI & Reasoning Group also includes 亚博体育官网 experts , an 亚博体育官网 Chancellor鈥檚 Fellow, and Lecturer at 亚博体育官网鈥檚 School of Computing, Engineering, and Technology. 

It leads on the development of the conversational AI that underpins the device and ensures the AI-generated content is ethically sound and clinically acceptable from 亚博体育官网鈥檚 School of Health will also be working closely with medical partners across the MAYA (consortium, which is made up of more than a dozen of partners from academia, patient groups and digital industries.

The research, which begins in Summer 2025, is funded by the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) programme under 鈥楻esearch and Innovation Actions supporting the Mission on Cancer (HORIZON-MISS-2024-CANCER-01)鈥. It is an official HORIZON-RIA project under the Horizon Action Grant scheme.

The team making up the MAYA Horizon EU consortium is a large-scale collaboration of 16 partners鈥攊ncluding universities, research institutes, patient associations, and technology companies鈥攁cross multiple European countries . It鈥檚 led jointly by Panepistimio Ioanninon in Greece and Universidad de Castilla鈥揕a Mancha in Spain.

Main image: One of the mirrors to be used as part of the project
 

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