Welcome to A.I. Lab
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Welcome to A.I. Lab
Premature birth increases the risk of abnormalities in neurological development during childhood and adolescence, which can leave lasting consequences. At the Faculty of Computer and Information Science, University of Ljubljana, we are developing a computer system within the international project PARENT to enable early detection of cognitive and motor changes, allowing doctors to quickly diagnose and introduce appropriate treatments for patients.
The core of the PARENT project is the early detection of cognitive and motor disorders in preterm children and adolescents. Neurological development abnormalities not only burden the child and their parents, but also place additional stress on society. Early detection of brain injuries, dysmaturity, and cognitive and motor impairments are crucial for improving the well-being of children and their families, as it allows for monitoring the child’s development and medical assessment of the disorder. Based on this, doctors can start the necessary therapy as early as possible to address or reduce the consequences of the disorder.
The development of diagnostic and predictive platforms focused on motor and cognitive disorders in newborns is approached in a multidisciplinary way in this project. By integrating various information from clinical data, biomarkers, and neuroimaging materials, as well as data fusion, machine learning, and new predictive algorithms, the PARENT project will significantly contribute to open software infrastructure for diagnosing neurodevelopmental diseases.
To develop effective diagnostics, the Faculty of Computer and Information Science, University of Ljubljana, together with ten other research institutions, hospitals, and companies, received funding from the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks (MSCA-ITN) call, part of Horizon 2020. Fifteen PhD students will spend four years in this project searching for new biomarkers and developing a computer system for the early detection of cognitive and motor changes in preterm children.
The Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, led by Associate Professor Dr. Aleksandr Sadikov, will employ one PhD student who will develop new AI approaches and algorithms to construct diagnostic models from various imaging data and eye-tracking system data. This PhD student will closely collaborate with another PhD student, employed by the young Slovenian innovative company NEUS Diagnostics d.o.o., led by Dr. Vida Groznik, which is already developing systems for early detection of dementia.
During the project, PhD students will spend several months at other partner institutions, where they can advance their research work in collaboration with international researchers and research organizations.
The PARENT project consortium includes partners from five countries: Slovenia (University of Ljubljana and NEUS Diagnostics d.o.o.), Italy (Polytechnic University of Turin, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, companies 7hc and GPI SPA), Spain (University of Cádiz and Biomedical Research Foundation of Cádiz), Belgium (Catholic University of Leuven and Icometrix nv), and Switzerland (TOELT GmbH). Additionally, six other organizations from Greece, the USA, Italy, Switzerland, Canada, and Spain will participate in the project, offering various educational training and hosting opportunities for PhD students.