In a new building at the Klinikum rechts der Isar of the Technical University of Munich (TUM), interdisciplinary research in the fields of medicine, computer science and mathematics will be advanced in the future. Together, the research groups want to develop new approaches in the field of data science and artificial intelligence and transfer them to clinical application. The research center will receive around 43.6 million euros from the federal government and the Free State of Bavaria.
Under the umbrella of the Munich Data Science Institute (MDSI), the ZDMG will operate as a standalone research center, developing new data-driven approaches and methodologies and promoting their use to benefit patients, in particular in treatments of cancer and cardiovascular disease and in neurological medicine.
Digital healthcare through the secure use of patient data
A primary focus will be the development of individualized and personalized treatments and interventions. In that regard, the early detection and diagnosis of diseases and the identification of biomarkers and treatment objectives using AI and data science will play a crucial role. Another focus will be on security and privacy protection when using patient data and the ethically responsible application of the new data-driven technologies.
For the interactive visualization of big data in medicine, plans for the ZDMG also include a data observatory. With this unique facility – the largest of its kind in Europe – it will be possible to visualize very large datasets from clinical laboratory results, image data and more complex data such as genetic mutations and cellular changes and compare them on multiple screens. This may help to discover previously unknown patterns and correlations that may point the way forward to new therapeutic options.
For the future director, Prof. Daniel Rückert, the ZDMG "offers a unique opportunity to pool the strengths of the university hospital Klinikum rechts der Isar and the Technical University of Munich and to advance digital healthcare through data-driven approaches."
In the BioM Podcast Biotech Talk aus Bayern, Prof. Daniel Rückert talks about the enormous potential of AI and the need for fundamental digitization of all hospital processes for the translation of AI into clinical practice.
Funding for the new building on the home campus of TUM Klinikum rechts der Isar is being provided with around 43.6 million euros - half from the Free State of Bavaria and half from the federal government.