ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig is delighted to welcome Dr. Stefan Höhme as Associated Member. Stefan Höhme is a computer scientist specializing in systems medicine and computational modelling as a group leader at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Bioinformatics (IZBI) at Leipzig University. After his presentation „Machine-learning superpixels for 3D multiscale modeling of liver diseases“, the board voted unanimously for admission to ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig.

Dr. Stefan Höhme states: „I am very honored and happy to join forces with the ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig as an associated member. We will apply AI methods for the analysis and quantification of medical images to improve diagnosis, and build better computational 3D models of the human liver. These models will allow us to better understand widespread liver diseases like fatty liver or liver cancer. AI may also help us to create better methods of prevention and therapy of these diseases.“

About Dr. Stefan Höhme

From 1998 to 2005, Dr. Höhme pursued his Master’s studies, earning a Dipl. Inf. degree with a major in computer science and a minor in biomedicine. His Master’s thesis, titled „Development and applications of a software for the modeling of multicellular populations,“ laid the foundation for his future endeavors. In 2006, Dr. Höhme embarked on his doctoral journey in computer science at the Leipzig University, obtaining his Ph.D. (Dr. rer. nat) in 2010. His doctoral thesis, „Agent-based modeling of growing cell populations and the regenerating liver based on image processing“ demonstrated his work in utilizing image processing techniques to simulate the behavior and growth of cell populations, particularly in the context of liver regeneration. In 2011, he was therefore awarded the prestigious Reinhard Heinrich Award for Best Annual Thesis (1st prize) from the European Society for Mathematical and Theoretical Biology (ESMTB). This esteemed award recognizes his exceptional research in the area of Mathematical and Theoretical Biology in Europe.

Following his doctorate, Dr. Höhme served as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Following his doctorate, Dr. Höhme served as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Bioinformatics (IZBI) in Leipzig from 2010 to 2014. During this time, he was part of the Associated Team QuanTiss at INRIA in Paris, broadening his research network and contributing to cutting-edge advancements in computational biology. Since 2015, Dr. Höhme has been a Group Leader at the chair of Bioinformatics at the Leipzig University under the prestigious DFG Emmy-Noether Programme. His exceptional leadership and expertise have propelled him to assume the role of Principal Investigator in several significant research projects. From 2016 to 2021, he led the BMBF project LiSyM, spearheading innovative computational models and strategies to enhance our understanding of liver diseases. In 2021, Dr. Höhme assumed the role of Principal Investigator in two additional BMBF projects: SMART-NAFLD (LiSyM-Krebs) and C-TIP-HCC (LiSyM-Krebs). These projects, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), have a profound focus on the development of novel computational approaches to address liver diseases and their treatments.

ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig is “pleased to have Dr. Höhme as an associate member, a scientist with strong research background who has already extensively applied machine learning technologies and will strengthen our AI application area Life Science and Medicine.” – Prof. Erhard Rahm (Director ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig)

Associated member of ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig

ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig awards the title of associate member to selected PhD scientists and professors with a close connection to the research focus of the center. The prerequisite is an international research activity, a high interest in cooperation as well as the willingness to contribute own research work to ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig. ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig supports its associated members in networking as well as in the development of joint projects. The status also allows participation in internal general meetings, lectures and conferences.

ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig

ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig, the Center for Scalable Data Analysis and Artificial Intelligence, is one of five national competence centers for Artificial Intelligence (AI) that are being funded under the federal government‘s AI strategy and established as permanent research facilities for AI, Data Science and Big Data. With its two locations in Leipzig and Dresden, the competence center ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig combines the excellent AI and Data Science expertise of Leipzig University, the TUD Dresden University of Technology and ten research institutions.

ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig thus expands the national competence center for Big Data – ScaDS Dresden/Leipzig – founded in 2014. At the Leipzig University as well as the TUD Dresden University of Technology, up to 12 AI professorships as well as an additional Humboldt Professorship will be established to increase research excellence and to place applied AI research on a broad foundation. The competence center thus plays a unique and central role in the implementation of the AI strategy, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).