French-Israeli Collaboration in Medical AI Receives Prestigious Binational Grant

The Technion-Rambam Initiative in Medical AI (TERA) and the French Health Data Hub (HDH) have announced the recipient of their joint binational grant for groundbreaking research in medical artificial intelligence, selecting an innovative project in the field of MRI technology.

Following a rigorous selection process where numerous collaborative teams submitted promising proposals, a distinguished jury committee composed of experts from both countries has awarded the grant to a research team led by Assistant Professor Efrat Shimron from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and Dr. Philippe Ciuciu, Research Director and CEA Fellow, Head of the Inria-CEA MIND team at NeuroSpin and Inria Saclay.

The winning project, named K-SPARK, aims to develop a revolutionary AI-driven technology for rapid MRI scans, specifically designed for high-precision brain morphometry. Another key aspect of this project is to establish an open, multi-center database of in-vivo human MRI scans collected at 3 and 7 Tesla. This research addresses a critical unmet need and aims to make MRI more accessible and clinically available worldwide.

The multidisciplinary and binational research team brings together leading experts from both countries:

• Assistant Professor Efrat Shimron — Principal Investigator, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, and the May-Blum-Dahl Technion Human MRI Research Center, Technion Institute of Technology
• Dr. Philippe Ciuciu — Co-Principal Investigator, CEA Fellow & Research Director, Head of the Inria-CEA MIND team at NeuroSpin and Inria Saclay.
• Dr. Ayellet Eran — Director of MRI Division, Rambam Health Care Campus
• Dr. Chaithya Giliyar Radharkishna — Research Scientist, Inria-CEA MIND team at NeuroSpin and Inria Saclay, Paris.
• Assistant Professor Blanche Bapst — Henri Mondor University Hospital (HMUH), University Paris-Est Créteil, Neuroradiology Department.
• Dr. Dafna Link-Sourani — the Manager of the May-Blum-Dahl Technion Human MRI research center

“This collaboration represents a significant milestone in medical AI research between France and Israel,” said Associate Professor Joachim A. Behar from the Technion, who directs TERA alongside Dr. Ronit Almog from Rambam Health Care Campus. “The K-SPARK project demonstrates the tremendous potential of combining our countries’ expertise to advance healthcare technology that will directly benefit patients.”

TERA operates under TechAI.Biomed and is dedicated to fostering innovative applications of artificial intelligence in healthcare. The grant was partially supported by donations raised by Technion France.

Both institutions expressed pride in the accomplishments of this exceptional team and extended their congratulations on this prestigious achievement. The collaboration is expected to strengthen the bonds between the French and Israeli medical AI ecosystems while developing technology with global healthcare implications.

Click here for pictures

In the pictures:

1. Assistant Professor Efrat Shimron (Credit: Inbal Ginat)
2. Dr. Philippe Ciuciu

For more than a century, the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology has pioneered in science and technology education and delivered world-changing impact. Proudly a global university, the Technion has long leveraged boundary-crossing collaborations to advance breakthrough research and technologies. Now with a presence in three countries, the Technion will prepare the next generation of global innovators. Technion people, ideas, and inventions make immeasurable contributions to the world, innovating in fields from cancer research and sustainable energy to quantum computing and computer science to do good around the world.

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