Research at University of Oxford
Academic Research

Research

Advancing Human-Centred AI Design and digital health innovation for primary care through interoperability, machine learning, and patient-led co-creation at the University of Oxford.

Ongoing Projects

Current research initiatives and active projects

DPhil Thesis

Ongoing

University of Oxford

Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences

2021 - 2026 (expected)

Investigating the characteristics and mechanisms of digital health technologies and AI in healthcare in the context of multiple long-term conditions (MLTC). The research addresses key challenges in interoperability, explainable AI, data privacy, ethical conformity, and patient-led innovation through five methodological approaches: systematic reviews, technical framework development, Human-Centred AI Design, practical ethics research, and Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) integration.

Supervisors: Professor Rafael Perera, Professor Clare Bankhead

Human-Centred AIMLTCsDigital HealthMLOps
Transfer of Status Report

MLOps Experiments

Ongoing

University of Oxford

Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences

2023 - present

Developing evaluation criteria for competing AI/ML models utilising bandit learning algorithms for self-supervised reinforcement learning. Training multiple model variants including logistic regression, k-nearest neighbours, random forest, gradient boosting machines, CNNs, RNNs, SVMs, and variational autoencoders. Targeting eighteen conditions across four adult age cohorts with outcomes for all-cause mortality and hospitalisation.

Supervisors: Professor Rafael Perera, Professor Clare Bankhead

Reinforcement LearningMLOpsClinical AIBandit Learning
View protocol summaryRequest full protocol

HcAI Bootcamp

Ongoing

University of Oxford

Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences

March 2024

A 4-day design bootcamp that brought healthcare stakeholders to train on design innovation methods and co-create AI-enhanced solutions for Multiple Long-Term Conditions. First of its kind bootcamp in Oxford attracting participants from all over the world.

Design ThinkingHealthcare InnovationCo-creation
Bootcamp WebsiteDownload initial reportDownload bootcamp proposal

PPIE Project

Ongoing

University of Oxford

Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences

2022 - present

Creating visual resources for PPIE activities that focus on Multiple Long-Term Conditions. The project produces video products and a manuscript for research communities who want to build resources for their own PPIE activities.

PPIEVisual ResourcesPatient Engagement
View OSF repository

Completed Projects

Examples of some past research projects and their outcomes

NAPKON Project

Completed

Charité University Hospital Berlin

Core Unit Digital Medicine and Interoperability, BIH

2021

Part of the Nationale Pandemie Kohorten Netz (NAPKON) efforts to create and maintain Germany's first nation-wide digital health database. The 36 university hospitals in the German University Hospital Network took part in the project. Work focused on creating FHIR implementation guides for the project.

FHIRHL7InteroperabilityCOVID-19
Implementation guide example

roomOS/smartER

Completed

Hasso Plattner Institute

Digital Health Center

2019 - 2020

roomOS takes a human-centred design approach for AI development using systems engineering methods. Demonstrates how automation enables monitoring clinical parameters using existing non-intrusive sensor technology. smartER is an AI-driven digital health platform that streamlines complex clinical workflows of the emergency room considering all stakeholders.

Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Jonathan Edelman

Human-Centred DesignClinical MonitoringEmergency RoomIoT
Download roomOS ReportDownload smartER Report

WHO Community Engagement

Completed

World Health Organization

Department of Health Promotion, Maastricht University

November 2018 - July 2019

Lead Researcher on a project focused on creating evidence base on the effects and factors of community engagement for the prevention of non-communicable diseases to address SDG 3 in the 2030 Agenda. Led to the creation of a global workshop for capacity building in community engagement initiatives through the Comprehensive Community Engagement Framework.

Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Stef Kremers, Prof. Dr. Nanne de Vries

Community EngagementNCDsGlobal HealthSDGs

Master's Project

Completed

Hasso Plattner Institute

Digital Health Center

2019 - 2021

Developing deep learning models to digitise patient files/records with automated AI workflows, creating value for emerging technologies in clinical practice. Pipelines perform optical character recognition of printed or handwritten data, and structure data from unstructured content to match clinical context.

Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Christoph Lippert (HPI), Prof. Dr. Friedrich C. Luft (Charité), Prof. Dr. Pao-Hwa Lin (Duke University)

Deep LearningOCRClinical DataNLP

Neuro Deep Learning

Completed

Hasso Plattner Institute

Digital Health Center

2019 - 2020

Development of deep learning models that analyse EEG data to detect a person's state of flow. In collaboration with industry partners of the HPI, existing models were tested and adapted to perform real-time predictions of flow states.

Supervisors: Dr. Julia von Thienen, Dr. Shama Rahman

EEGDeep LearningFlow StateNeuroscience

3D Printed Meds

Completed

Maastricht University

Honours Programme, Medical Faculty

2016 - 2018

Honours Programme project with research based on two tracks: 1) 3D printing technologies for personalised medicine, 2) development of regulatory and policy guidance for future of health and functioning.

Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Harald Schmidt, Prof. Dr. Christian Franken (DocMorris), Prof. Dr. Nico van Meeteren (Health~Holland), Prof. Dr. Lorenzo Moroni (MERLN)

3D PrintingPersonalised MedicineRegulatoryPolicy
Project Report