Exploring AI Innovations in Predicting and Preventing Obesity-Related Vascular Disease 

7 October 2025, 09:00 – 10:30 CEST / CME accredited / Register HERE!

This webinar will explore how artificial intelligence is revolutionising the prediction and prevention of obesity-related vascular diseases. The session will showcase key innovations from the AI-POD project, including AI-powered risk prediction, decision support tools, and citizen health apps. Designed for clinicians, researchers, developers, and policymakers, the webinar highlights practical applications of trustworthy, human-centred AI in preventive healthcare. Attendees will gain valuable insights into integrating these tools into clinical workflows to advance proactive cardiovascular care.

By the end of this webinar, participants will gain valuable insights into how AI is transforming healthcare delivery and disease prevention. This event is particularly relevant for clinicians, researchers, digital health developers, and policy stakeholders seeking to stay at the forefront of innovation in healthcare.

The webinar includes an in-depth look at AI-POD’s risk prediction algorithm, clinical decision support system, and citizen-facing health app. It also features expert insights on designing human-centred AI and integrating these tools into real-world clinical practice.

Programme

The session will offer attendees a comprehensive overview of AI-POD’s groundbreaking work through the following presentations:

09:00 – 09:05 | Welcome – Regina Beets-Tan, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Netherlands
09:05 – 09:10 | Trustworthy AI for a Healthier Future: The AI-POD Project – U. Attenberger, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
09:10 – 09:25 | Behind the Score: Developing the AI-POD Risk Prediction – G. Langs, University of Vienna, Austria
09:25 – 09:40 | Building Smarter Tools: AI-POD Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) – J. Kirchhoff, medicalvalues GmbH, Germany
09:40 – 09:50 | The AI-POD Citizen App: Features and Functionalities – F. Catarinella, Brightfish B.V, Netherlands.
09:50 – 10:05 | From Prediction to Prevention: How AI-POD Supports Better Vascular Risk Management – S. Al-Basri, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil Bochum, Germany
10:05 – 10:15 | Human-Centred AI: A Stakeholder Perspective on AI for Imaging-Based Prediction of Obesity-Related Vascular Diseases – E. Van Steijvoort, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
10:15 – 10:30 | Panel Discussion: Integrating AI-POD into the Clinical Workflow: Opportunities and Challenges – R. Beets Tan, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Netherlands

This event is ideal for clinicians, researchers, digital health developers, and policy stakeholders interested in how AI is reshaping healthcare delivery and disease prevention.

The European Commission formally adopted the 2025 EU4Health Work Programme on July 23rd, outlining the strategic health policy priorities for the year ahead. The initiative is aimed at protecting citizens’ health while boosting innovation across the European Union.

The Work Programme will direct funding to critical areas such as cardiovascular health, digital health, cancer, health technology assessment, crisis preparedness, and the safety of medicines, medical devices, and substances of human origin. These priorities are aligned with the EU’s broader public health and innovation goals, aiming to foster a healthier and more resilient Europe.

The EU4Health Programme provides financial support through both grants and public procurement mechanisms. With this, it continues to be one of the most ambitious health programmes in EU history, supporting Member States in addressing cross-border health threats and strengthening health systems.

However, the new Work Programme also reflects a significant budgetary change: a €1 billion reduction in the EU4Health Programme’s budget, as agreed from 2025 onwards. In light of this adjustment, the Commission has pledged to maximise efficiency by drawing on synergies with other EU funding instruments, including Horizon Europe, the Digital Europe Programme, and the European Social Fund Plus.

“The 2025 EU4Health Work Programme marks a renewed commitment to strengthening public health across Europe while making smart use of our resources,” said a Commission spokesperson. “We are focusing efforts where they are most needed and where they can make the biggest difference for our citizens.”

The Commission’s emphasis on strategic coordination and cross-programme collaboration reflects its intention to deliver value for money while driving innovation and preparedness in the face of evolving health challenges.

👉 Click here to read the full 2025 EU4Health Work Programme on the European Commission’s website.

On 16 July, the European Commission published its proposal for the 2028 to 2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), introducing key structural changes to EU funding for health and research.

The proposal includes the creation of a new European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), which would consolidate 14 separate funding programmes, including EU4Health, into a streamlined €410 billion instrument. The fund is designed to enhance Europe’s strategic autonomy and global competitiveness, with a dedicated window focused on Health, Biotech, Bioeconomy and Resilience.

The ECF will be structured around four main policy windows:

1. Clean Transition and Industrial Decarbonisation
2. Digital Leadership
3. Health, Biotech and Bioeconomy and Resilience
4. Defence and Space

A key concern for the health research community is the proposed integration of EU4Health, which could impact the visibility and prioritisation of health initiatives within the new framework.

On a positive note, Horizon Europe will remain a self-standing programme with a proposed budget of €175 billion. It will continue to support excellence in science, including health and medical research, while aligning more closely with the European Union’s industrial and competitiveness objectives.

Horizon Europe is structured around four key pillars:

1. A first pillar dedicated to excellent science
2. A second pillar focused on competitiveness and society, including Health, Biotech, Agriculture and Bioeconomy, as well as EU missions
3. A third pillar on digital leadership
4. A fourth pillar on the European Research Area

The proposed allocation of €131 billion for defence highlights a significant shift in EU priorities. This reinforces the need for strong advocacy from the medical research community to ensure continued support for health research, particularly in medical imaging and biotechnology.

The plan also introduces a Single Rulebook to harmonise rules across funding schemes and reduce administrative burdens. A Strategic Stakeholder Board will be created to advise on priorities and guide the governance of the new fund.

EIBIR will continue to monitor these developments and actively engage with stakeholders to represent the interests of the imaging research community.

📄 Read the full legislative proposal here.

Exploring AI Innovations in Predicting and Preventing Obesity-Related Vascular Disease | 7 October 2025, 09:00 – 10:30 CEST / CME accredited

As part of the EIBIR Webinar Series, and in Collaboration with the European Society of Radiology, the AI-POD Project is pleased to announce a dedicated end-user webinar taking place on 7 October 2025, focusing on the transformative role of artificial intelligence in predicting and preventing obesity-related vascular diseases.

Titled “Exploring AI Innovations in Predicting and Preventing Obesity-Related Vascular Disease,” the webinar will spotlight the latest developments within the AI-POD project – an initiative aimed at advancing trustworthy, AI-powered tools to support cardiovascular risk management and preventative care.

Programme Highlights

The session will offer attendees a comprehensive overview of AI-POD’s groundbreaking work through the following presentations:

Trustworthy AI for a Healthier Future – Introducing the goals and scope of the AI-POD project – U. Attenberger, Medical University of Vienna, Austria

Behind the Score – Exploring the development of the AI-POD Risk Prediction Algorithm – G. Langs, University of Vienna, Austria

Building Smarter Tools – Demonstrating the AI-POD Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) for healthcare professionals – J. Kirchhoff, medicalvalues GmbH, Germany

The AI-POD Citizen App – Showcasing key features and how it empowers individuals to monitor and manage their vascular health – F. Catarinella, Brightfish B.V, Netherlands.

From Prediction to Prevention – Insights into how AI-POD’s innovations facilitate proactive risk reduction – S. Al-Basri, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil Bochum, Germany

Human-Centred AI – A stakeholder perspective on designing AI for real-world healthcare use – E. Van Steijvoort, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium

Panel Discussion – A lively dialogue on integrating AI-POD into clinical workflows, examining both opportunities and practical challenges – R. Beets Tan, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Netherlands

This event is ideal for clinicians, researchers, digital health developers, and policy stakeholders interested in how AI is reshaping healthcare delivery and disease prevention.

Further details, including registration information, is available here!

On 2 July 2025, the European Commission published its EU Life Sciences Strategy, setting a bold vision to position the European Union as the world’s most attractive environment for life sciences innovation by 2030. The strategy reinforces the EU’s commitment to strengthening biomedical research, unlocking the potential of health data and AI, and building a competitive, sustainable, and resilient health ecosystem.

EIBIR fully welcomes this strategic direction and strongly supports the emphasis on research and innovation, data sharing, and cross-border collaboration. As a long-standing advocate and facilitator of biomedical imaging research in Europe, EIBIR is proud to be actively contributing to the EU’s goals—most notably through its coordination of EUCAIM (European Federation for Cancer Images).

Connecting the Strategy to Action: EIBIR’s Role in EUCAIM

EUCAIM, coordinated by EIBIR, is a flagship initiative under the European Cancer Imaging Initiative and a key component of the European Health Data Space. It brings together over 80 partners across Europe to develop a federated cancer imaging infrastructure that enables secure, interoperable, and ethically sound sharing of medical imaging data. The project advances the use of AI in cancer diagnosis and treatment, while directly supporting the strategic goals outlined in the Life Sciences Strategy.

Key Areas of Alignment:

• Unlocking the power of data and AI in health research

• Reinforcing EU research and innovation leadership in biomedical imaging

• Building trust, infrastructure, and digital skills across healthcare systems

• Accelerating innovation uptake and industrial competitiveness

Download the full strategy: EU Life Sciences Strategy (PDF)

For more on EIBIR’s work in data-driven cancer research and EUCAIM, visit our project page.

The European Commission is establishing a Scientific Panel of Independent Experts to support the implementation and enforcement of the AI Act — a key framework shaping Europe’s digital future.

This panel will bring together technical experts from diverse fields, with a particular interest in ensuring strong representation from the medical imaging community.

If you have expertise in artificial intelligence and medical imaging and wish to contribute to the responsible development and regulation of AI in healthcare, we encourage you to apply.

Applications are open until 14 September 2025.

Learn more and submit your application here:
Commission Seeks Experts for AI Scientific Panel

Together, we can help shape a trustworthy and effective AI landscape for healthcare in Europe.

A high-profile webinar titled “Harnessing AI for Clinical Decision-Making: Insights from Leading European Research Initiatives” brought together 230 participants from across the radiology and imaging fields yesterday. Organised by the European Society of Radiology (ESR) and the European Institute for Biomedical Imaging Research (EIBIR), the event showcased leading applications of artificial intelligence in medical imaging, with a focus on breast cancer diagnostics, interventional radiology, and data privacy.

The session was opened by EIBIR Scientific Coorinator, Prof. Regina Beets-Tan, Scientific Director of EIBIR, who introduced the webinar structure. The spotlight was on three major EU-funded initiatives – RadioVal, Odelia, and SHERPA – each demonstrating innovative approaches to AI-driven healthcare.

Oliver Diaz presented the RadioVal, which aims to develop and validate trustworthy AI models for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment planning using breast MRI and clinical data. He emphasised the Future-AI guidelines developed at the University of Barcelona and highlighted the importance of fairness, transparency, and explainability. The project includes eight international hospital partners and focuses on adaptability across diverse clinical settings.

Oliver Saldanha introduced ODELIA, a project leveraging swarm learning—a decentralised AI method that enables collaborative model training while maintaining patient data privacy. His talk highlighted promising early results in breast cancer diagnostics and demonstrated the value of privacy-preserving learning systems in healthcare.

Robert Hofsink presented the SHERPA, which aims to support decision-making and patient stratification in interventional radiology using AI and robotic assistance. The project addresses challenges such as clinician shortages and procedural complexity, with clinical trials planned across seven countries. SHERPA is funded by the Innovative Health Initiative and involves 16 partners from across Europe.

A dynamic panel discussion followed with audience questions submitted. Discussions centred on AI model performance, data requirements, and regulatory frameworks. All panellists emphasised the necessity of trustworthy, explainable, and clinically adaptable AI tools.

Prof. Beets-Tan concluded the event by reaffirming EIBIR’s commitment to supporting multi-centre AI research. She also announced plans for follow-up webinars to share further results and insights from the projects.

The ODELIA Summer School is taking place this year with an exciting and intensive program exploring the powerful synergy between artificial intelligence and medicine. Taking place from September 16 to 18, 2025, and hosted by the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) in Barcelona, Spain, the event promises to be a key opportunity for early career researchers eager to deepen their expertise in this rapidly evolving field.

This three-day programme will focus on cutting-edge topics such as privacy-preserving distributed learning, the integration of imaging in oncological workflows, and innovations in clinical trial design – highlighting how AI is transforming modern healthcare.

Highlights include keynote lectures by experts Daniel Truhn and Silvia Casacuberta, hands-on workshops, collaborative group work, and unique networking opportunities including a guided campus tour and tapas evening. Attendees will also enjoy a special visit to the historic Sant Pau Hospital.

Participation is free of charge, but registration is required by July 31, 2025. CME accreditation is currently in progress.

Join the future of AI in medicine – register now and be part of this transformative experience in Barcelona.

📍 Location: VHIO, C/ Saturnino Calleja 11-13, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
📅 Dates: September 16–18, 2025
🔗 [Download the detailed programme]
📝 [Register here before July 31, 2025]

Stay tuned for more updates!