KUCHING – A delegation from the Digital Health Research and Innovation Unit (DHRi), Institute for Clinical Research (ICR) Ministry of Health Malaysia and Infront Consulting attended a technology transfer workshop for Health Artificial Intelligence at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus from 19 to 21 July 2022.
Datuk Dr Kalaiarasu M Peariasamy, Director of ICR, National Institutes of Health (NIH), headed the delegation.
DHRi, Swinburne Sarawak’s Centre for Digital Futures and Infront Consulting have been driving new initiatives to champion digital health research in Malaysia. Swinburne Sarawak principal investigator Professor Patrick Then, who is also Director of the Centre for Digital Futures, has been working with ICR investigators ranging from principal investigator William Law Kian Boon, Head of DHRi Unit Dr Aizuddin bin Abdul Rahman and co-investigators Dr Mohan Dass Pathmanathan, Dr Wong Xin Ci, Dr Kuan Pei Xuan, Law Wen Feng and Jason Chao. The Swinburne Sarawak team comprises researchers Dr Brian Loh and Dr Vong Wantze.
The Ministry of Health research grant programme at NIH has been funding a development programme for cough sound Artificial Intelligence (AI) since 2021. The research has been expanded to explore applications for other respiratory sound-based screening using AI, such as for tuberculosis and pneumonia.
The Swinburne Sarawak research team headed by Professor Then is responsible for innovative and cutting-edge research to develop novel AI algorithms and techniques to detect various diseases ranging from respiratory diseases to communicable and non-communicable diseases.
During the workshop, Swinburne Sarawak researchers and delegates discussed and explored various aspects of AI, including machine learning and deep learning with real-life use cases from general deep learning to medical deep learning. The workshop also included emerging technologies such as computer vision, data analytics, digital signal processing and cloud computing.
“The workshop is unprecedented, and we extend our appreciation to Professor Patrick Then’s digital health research team for leading collaborative AI research initiatives for the nation,” said Datuk Dr Kalaiarasu.
Dr Aizuddin and William Law are committed to pioneering digital health research and innovation at ICR NIH and they are enthusiastic about technology transfer within our country.
“Collaboration with Swinburne Sarawak in pioneering digital health is thrilling and fulfilling as we know digital health research is under strong leadership by both DHRi and the Centre for Digital Futures,” said Dr Aizuddin.