Join the new Health-Tech Network’s first annual meeting

How can new technologies help address challenges and meet needs in everyday clinical practice? This question is central to the newly established Health-Tech Network, which is interdisciplinary from the very outset.

The network is founded in collaboration between Health Sciences and Technical Sciences, and its steering committee includes researchers from both faculties. Its main task is to bring together researchers from the health sciences and engineering.

“It ought to be easier for researchers from different disciplines to find one another. I believe the major breakthroughs in health sciences come from collaboration across fields. As clinicians, we can identify the challenges that arise in our encounters with patients, while engineers can contribute methods and in-depth technical knowledge to develop solutions,” says clinical professor Jan Duedal Rölfing from the Department of Clinical Medicine, one of the network’s two co-chairs.

From implants to heart valves

Clinicians and engineers are already working together in several areas. In orthopaedic surgery, for example, researchers are developing stronger implants to help patients begin rehabilitation sooner, as well as 3D-printed guides to make cancer surgery more precise.

The network’s other co-chair, associate professor Peter Johansen from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has many years of experience in interdisciplinary collaboration in cardiovascular research. He knows the value of bringing different fields together.

“Already as an engineering student, I was inspired by seeing how my supervisor, who worked with ultrasound technology, collaborated with cardiac surgeons to develop new ways of examining blood flow in the heart," explains Peter Johansen. 

"That experience was decisive in setting me on my own path into biomedical research. Since then, I have worked closely with cardiac surgeons and interventional cardiologists to investigate how different treatment techniques and implants affect blood flow and the the biomechanics of the heart,” he continues.

The Health-Tech Network aims to create more encounters of this kind between clinical needs and technical expertise.

Three themes for short talks

If you attend the annual meeting, you can propose a flash talk – a short oral presentation – in one of three themes:

• Unmet clinical or technical needs: Describe a clinical or technical problem and explain where interdisciplinary collaboration could make a difference.
• Research group methods: Present a key method used by your research group, using concrete examples to show how it can be applied.
• Projects supported by a Health-Tech seed grant: Researchers from groups that have received the network’s own seed grant, the “Health-Tech Collaborative Grant”, present their projects.

The organisers will select a limited number of flash talks for the final programme.

If you are a PhD student, postdoc or research-year student, you are very welcome to present a poster – even if you have already shown it at a conference or PhD Day.

When you register at the event site, you can choose whether to propose a flash talk, present a poster or attend as a participant.

Find new collaborators

Health-Tech spans a broad range of fields, including biomedical engineering, data science, chemistry, biotechnology and engineering. For Peter Johansen, it is essential that technologies are developed in close contact with clinical needs.

“A few years ago, we tried to start a forum for engineers working on health challenges, but it probably became too technology-focused. What makes the Health-Tech Network interesting is that clinicians are involved from the beginning. This means we can be much more focused on practical applications, with both clinical relevance and the intended end use of the technology at the centre,” he says.

He also points out that Aarhus is particularly well placed to strengthen collaboration between the health sciences and technology. The close proximity of Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital, combined with the university’s broad range of scientific expertise, provides a strong basis for developing solutions across disciplines.

The network will help members get an overview of who is working on what, find relevant collaborators and receive constructive feedback on new ideas. In the longer term, the goal is for these collaborations to lead to solutions that improve treatment and patient care – benefiting patients in Denmark and internationally.

“You don’t need to have a fully developed project to get involved. You may have a clinical need, an idea or a question you would like to discuss with people from other disciplines. Or perhaps you are simply curious to see what goes on in other parts of the university. Whatever your reason, you are welcome in the network,” says clinical professor Jan Duedal Rölfing.

Contact

Network coordinator Anja P. Einholm
Aarhus University, Health Administrative Centre – Faculty Secretariat
Phone: +45 93 50 84 08
Email: ape@au.dk