“The rich history of Duke’s collaboration makes it the ideal place to collect engineering and medicine to solve the biggest health care problems that others simply can’t,” said Jerome Lynch, Vinik Dean of Engineering. “One of the advantages we have is the engineering school is literally in front of the school of medicine, making medical interactions-engineering so intellectually dynamic and productive.”
The idea of the center came from a series of workshops with professors from all units of the university interested in computer and digital health. They had concentrated discussions on their needs, the major challenges that could be met and the support necessary.
“When the center was formed, it was a exciting moment for the medical community because it meant applying calculation methods to all aspects of research,” said Manesh Patel, MDHead of the Cardiology Division of the Duke Surgery Department, “make these methods accessible to all those involved, including all the people we care about”.
Pioneer change in medicine
The members of the center are already making a difference thanks to research. For example:
- Maria Gorlatova Created augmented reality tools to help surgeons target the areas of the body of a patient, showing the specific area in the surgeon’s field of vision. Jessilyn Dunn And the Laboratory of Large Ideas uses portable devices and calculation tools to process masses of useful health indicators, accessible in real time.
- Cameron McIntyre And the McIntyre laboratory is developing advanced visual software to better understand complex neurosurgical procedures thanks to holographic visualization technology and head -mounted screens.
- THE Laboratory is dedicated to advancing biomedical research through innovative calculation methods, aimed at improving human health. They use superordinators to discover the mechanisms of the disease and support surgical planning through immersive environments.
In addition to research, the center is dedicated to computer and digital health education. They organize regular and virtual seminars and plan to have technological round tables in the near future.
“We want people to understand how to use these new technologies,” says Randles. “If you are a clinician, we want to help you know the nuances of how to deploy AI and the advantages and disadvantages of the use of tools; engineers must understand the scenarios of the real world and where technology could be applied.”
A certificate program has also recently been approved for students from Duke in engineering, arts and sciences or medicine, with registrations from this year.
“We have created an atmosphere where really interdisciplinary work can be done and take up the most difficult challenges in health care,” explains Randles. “This is what the future of health care looks like.”