Imperial College London recently hosted Feryal Clark MP, the new Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for AI and Digital Government, at its Hammersmith Hospital Campus. The visit, led by Imperial’s President, Professor Hugh Brady, showcased cutting-edge AI tools in healthcare that are advancing patient care.
Professor Brady highlighted Imperial’s extensive AI Network, which unites over 1,000 researchers across various faculties. This network is central to accelerating the safe and effective development of AI, particularly within the thriving AI and healthcare ecosystem at Imperial. The university is also establishing a new School for Human and Artificial Intelligence, part of four new Schools of Convergence Science, and a World Economic Forum Centre for AI Driven Innovation, further enhancing interdisciplinary research.
During her visit, Minister Clark observed a groundbreaking AI tool that detects signs of aging in medical scans, providing an image of a person’s “heart age.” Professor Declan O’Regan, BHF Professor of Cardiovascular AI, demonstrated how this tool assesses whether a person’s heart is aging healthily, predicting future disease risks. The tool, developed by comparing scans from individuals with varying heart health, is being trialed in clinical settings, supported by the Computational Cardiac Imaging Group at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences.
Additionally, the Minister saw an AI tool for automatically measuring sarcopenia, a condition linked to surgical and cancer treatment outcomes. Professor Andrea Rockall, Clinical Chair in Radiology, demonstrated how this tool supports clinical workflows by rapidly calculating muscle mass from CT scans.
Imperial’s commitment to advancing AI in healthcare extends to training the next generation of researchers and entrepreneurs. Professor Aldo Faisal, Professor of AI and Neuroscience, outlined the work of the UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in AI for Healthcare and Digital Healthcare, which is developing AI-based diagnostic tools and public health technologies.
The Minister also learned about Imperial’s support for AI-driven healthcare startups, such as Cogitat, which is exploring brain-computer interfaces for stroke rehabilitation, and Vera.AI, a platform for personalized hormonal and gynecological health management.
Finally, the Minister was briefed on the new MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences building, a state-of-the-art biomedical research institute at Hammersmith Hospital. The visit underscored Imperial’s strategic initiatives, including the Imperial WestTech Corridor, which aims to create a world-leading hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, and technological advancement across West London, with Hammersmith Hospital playing a critical role in this vision.
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