Applied AI Conference at the Technion

The Zimin Institute Conference addressed the various stages of translating basic ideas and research into applications that impact human health through artificial intelligence.

On May 27, the Zimin Institute Conference took place at the Technion, led by Tech-AI.Biomed – the medical arm of the Technion’s Artificial Intelligence Center, Tech.AI. The conference opened with welcoming remarks from Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan and Mr. Boris Zimin, president of the Zimin Foundation.

The conference focused on the translation of academic innovation into medical applications, and was divided into three main parts, all dealing with innovation in medicine: the idea, the transition from basic research to product, and real-world impact. During the conference, the winners of the 2024 Zimin Foundation grants were announced.

The partnership between the Technion and the Zimin Foundation was formalized in 2022 with an agreement in which the Foundation supports the establishment and operation of the Zimin Institute for AI Development in Medicine at the Technion.

According to Prof. Sivan, “This important partnership is a central component of the Technion Human Health Initiative (THHI), which aims to advance human health through interdisciplinary research that harnesses technologies, including artificial intelligence, for the benefit of medicine. As a leading institution in both medical research and artificial intelligence, the Zimin Institute exemplifies two of our prominent strengths. We thank the Zimin Foundation, appreciate its decision to establish its third institute at the Technion, and congratulate it on the first conference being held at the Technion.”

The Institute is headed by Prof. Shai Shen-Orr from the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine.

L to R: Prof. Shai Shen-Orr, head of the Zimin Institute, Dr. Mark Shmulevich, Zimin Institutes director

Participants in the conference included Zimin Institutes Director Dr. Mark Shmulevich, Zimin Institute Tel Aviv University Director Prof. David Mendlovic, Leonid Solovyev, director of operations at the Breakthrough Prize Foundation, and Ronit Samler, director of the Technion Technology Transfer Office (T3) at the Technion.

Supported by Mobileye, Nvidia, Harel Technologies, IBM Research, and Technion’s Zimin Institute for AI Solutions in Healthcare, the event drew 500 industry executives, academics, and students. Prof. Shen-Orr highlighted the rapid development within Tech.AI, noting the establishment of new centers and initiatives. The conference provided a valuable platform to present Technion’s AI capabilities and foster new partnerships.

Speakers at the conference, in order of appearance:

Prof. Rafael Beyar, former CEO of Rambam Health Care Campus and former dean of the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, on innovation in medicine in clinical, academic, and industrial fields.

Prof. Yoni Savir from the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, on the use of artificial intelligence to improve medical diagnosis and biopsy-based treatments. Prof. Savir won the Zimin Foundation grant in 2023.

Prof. Uri Shalit from the Faculty of Data and Decision Sciences, on a personalized recommendation system for treating hospitalized patients suffering from heart failure and acute kidney injury. Prof. Shalit won the Zimin Foundation grant in 2023, together with Prof. Danny Eitan from the Rambam Healthcare Campus, and Dr. Oren Caspi.

Prof. Lihi Zelnik-Manor, Technion vice president of innovation and industry relations, on innovation in medicine at the Technion.

Prof. Shai Shen-Orr from the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, head of the Zimin Institute at the Technion, on CytoReason, the company he founded.

Prof. Tamir Tuller from Tel Aviv University on a computational model of gene expression: introduction and biomedical applications. OncoDecipher, the company founded by Prof. Tuller, grew out of a Zimin Foundation grant.

Dr. Renana Sabi from the Faculties of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering at the Technion, manager of Tech.AI-Biomed, on the mindset changes needed to turn an idea into a product.

Dr. Orna Berry, former chief scientist at the Ministry of Economy and Industry and current senior executive at Google Cloud.

Leor Stern from Google Research Center.

Prof. Michal Rosen-Zvi, director of AI and life sciences research at the IBM Research Laboratory, on the promise of generative AI in overcoming challenges in drug development.

Udi Goori, general manager, Israel, at Elevance Health, proactive care.

Nobel Prize laureate in chemistry, Distinguished Professor Dan Shechtman from the Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, on internal entrepreneurship as a key to success in large organizations.

Distinguished Prof. Dan Shechtman

For photos from the conference see here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jwfAV3Apa5TrdqKDo6Jud3E-6_DquTzr?usp=sharing