AI4Health Centre showcases latest research at National UKRI Conference

UKRI AI4Health PhD researchers

Bringing together the UK’s brightest minds in AI and healthcare at the 2025 UKRI AI CDT Joint Conference held in York.

Last month, the historic city of York became a hub of innovation as it hosted the 2025 UKRI AI CDTs in Healthcare Joint Conference, a two-day event that brought together the UK’s leading Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) at the intersection of artificial intelligence and medicine.

Held at the Milner Hotel on 28-29 May, this in-person conference united the five UKRI-funded CDTs working to revolutionise healthcare through artificial intelligence. These include:

The CDT in AI for Healthcare at Imperial College London- Director- Professor Aldo Faisal
The CDT in AI for Medical Diagnosis and Care at the University of Leeds- Director- Professor David Hogg
The CDT in Biomedical AI at the University of Edinburgh- Director- Professor Diego Oyarzun
The CDT in AI-enabled Healthcare Systems at University College London- Director- Professor Paul Taylor
The CDT in Biomedical Innovation at the University of Edinburgh- Director- Professor Ian Simpson

Over two days, more than 100 PhD researchers showcased cutting-edge research on topics ranging from explainable AI in oncology and wearable neurotech to machine learning for diagnostics and federated learning for disease detection.

This event exemplifies the power of cross-institutional cooperation. Several years running now our multi institution AI for Healthcare conference is producing great talks, posters and strengthening the digital health ecosystem (Professor Aldo Faisal, Director of the UKRI Centres in AI for Healthcare)

AI4Health Centre researchers were well-represented in both presentation and poster sessions, delivering forward-thinking research that tackles real-world healthcare challenges. Notable presentations from the AI4Health CDT included:

Gaya Mathusuthan, who presented her research on wearable sensor technology for neurological monitoring.
Simon Hanassab, showcased his research using AI to optimise in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment.
Giulia Sanguedolce, showcasing a universal speech disorder recognition model aimed at generalising across diverse pathologies.
Simon Williamson, who introduced a novel approach to treating early-stage Alzheimer’s Disease using temporal interference stimulation in a controlled trial.

Special recognition went to Simon Hanassab, whose presentation on optimising in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments using AI was awarded runner-up in the conference presentation prizes. His research highlighted the potential of machine learning to enhance clinical decision-making and improve outcomes in reproductive health.

The conference also featured a thought-provoking keynote talk, delivered by Professor Sir Michael Brady, a pioneer in medical image analysis and healthcare AI, who shared insights from translating research into clinical tools through successful startup ventures and NHS collaborations.

This marks the fourth collaborative gathering of these CDTs, following last year’s meeting in Edinburgh. The event serves as a key platform for doctoral researchers to present their work, build collaborative relationships, and learn from academic leaders shaping the future of healthcare AI.

Hosted this year by UCL, the conference once again demonstrated the strength and promise of the UKRI-funded CDT network in training the next generation of AI and health innovators, who will drive innovation at the intersection of technology and medicine.