AI for Brain Health About the event The University of Edinburgh is marking two remarkable milestones: 300 years of the Edinburgh Medical School, and its place in the history of AI, it was the first place in Europe to research and teach AI more than 60 years ago. To celebrate this shared legacy, the Generative AI Laboratory (GAIL), the Centre for Doctoral Training in Biomedical AI and Edinburgh Medical School invite you to a one-day event exploring how AI is transforming brain health. This event will showcase breadth of work and expertise of researchers across the University, alongside speakers from industry and academia. What we mean by "brain health" We will take broad view of brain health, looking at many areas of neurological disease, such as epilepsy, neurodegenerative diseases and neurodevelopmental conditions. Across the day, we'll examine how AI can support innovation at every stage of the brain health pathway, including: Risk stratification – identifying who is most at risk Early detection and diagnosis – spotting conditions sooner and more accurately Prevention – reducing risk where possible Treatment and care – developing better pathways, including personalised medicine We will explore how these advances can lead to improved patient outcomes and wider societal benefits – while remaining clear-eyed about the challenges and responsibilities that come with using AI in healthcare. Who should attend This event has been designed with a wide audience in mind, including: Academics and researchers working in AI, neuroscience, neurology, informatics and related fields Clinicians and healthcare professionals Those working in industry PhD students and early-career researchers The day offers a valuable opportunity to build new collaborations, share expertise and help shape the future of AI-driven brain health research at Edinburgh and beyond. Agenda 9:00 – 9:30 Registration (Coffee and pastries) 9:30 – 9:45 Opening remarks - Professor Lorna Marson, Professor of Transplant Surgery and Dean of Clinical Medicine 9:45 – 10:15 Keynote speaker - Dr Dimitrios Vitsios, Senior Director, Agentic AI Innovation Lead, Astra Zeneca 10:15 – 11:00 Patient voice discussion* 11:00 – 11:15 Coffee break 11:15 – 12:45 Panel discussion – Diagnosis and Prevention** 12:45 – 13:45 Lunch 13:45 – 15:15 Panel discussion – Treatment and Care*** 15:15 – 15:30 Coffee break 15:30 – 16:00 Fireside chat between Professor Julie Jacko, University of Edinburgh's Usher Institute, and Professor Donald McAskill, Scottish Care 16:00 – 16:15 Closing remarks * Patient voice discussion Chair: Shane Canning, Head of Communications, GAIL Dr Tracy Jackson, Associate Dean for Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh Sammy Waite, Patient and Community Involvement in Research Officer, Clinical Research Facility, University of Edinburgh** Panel discussion – Diagnosis and PreventionChair: Professor Julie Jacko, Professor of Health Informatics and Data Science, Chief Academic Officer of Usher Institute and College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine Dean of Innovation and Engagement, University of EdinburghPanel:Professor Miguel Bernabeu Llinares, Professor of Computational Medicine, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh Professor Julien Reboud, Professor in BioSystems Engineering, James Watt School of Engineering, University of GlasgowDr Shama Rahman, Innovation Fellow, School of Informatics, University of EdinburghDr Milly Lo, Consultant Paediatric Intensivist and Research Lead for Paediatric Critical Care Medicine, Usher Institute (Centre for Medical Informatics), University of Edinburgh Dr Javier Escudero, Reader in Biomedical Signal Processing, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh*** Panel discussion – Treatment and Care Chair: Professor Ram Ramamoorthy, Professor of Robot Learning and Autonomy, Director, Centre for AI in Assistive Autonomy and Director, Generative AI Laboratory, University of EdinburghPanel:Professor Ian Simpson, Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Director UKRI Artificial Intelligence CDT in Biomedical Innovation, University of Edinburgh Dr Jayakara (Jay) Shetty, Consultant Paediatric Neurologist, NRS Fellow, and Honorary Senior Lecturer, Centre for Inflammation Research, University of EdinburghProfessor Sue Fletcher-Watson, Professor of Developmental Psychology, Centre for Biomedicine Self and Society, Usher Institute, University of EdinburghProfessor Neil Carragher, Professor of Drug Discovery and Director of Science, Edinburgh Cancer Research, University of EdinburghDr Donald MacIntyre, NIHR Senior Investigator; Director, NRS Mental Health Network; Associate Medical Director, NHS 24. Honorary Reader; Consultant Psychiatrist, University of Edinburgh Please note that due to a planning cutoff from the caterer, we cannot accept dietary restriction information after EOD 07/09/2026. Sep 21 2026 09.00 - 16.15 AI for Brain Health Celebrating the University of Edinburgh's place in medical and AI research history with a look into the conjoining of these fields with a focus on brain health and the future of this exciting area of research. John McIntyre Conference Centre, Pollock Estate, Edinburgh, EH16 5AY Link to PDF map of Pollock Estate Register This article was published on Thursday 6 August 2026
AI for Brain Health About the event The University of Edinburgh is marking two remarkable milestones: 300 years of the Edinburgh Medical School, and its place in the history of AI, it was the first place in Europe to research and teach AI more than 60 years ago. To celebrate this shared legacy, the Generative AI Laboratory (GAIL), the Centre for Doctoral Training in Biomedical AI and Edinburgh Medical School invite you to a one-day event exploring how AI is transforming brain health. This event will showcase breadth of work and expertise of researchers across the University, alongside speakers from industry and academia. What we mean by "brain health" We will take broad view of brain health, looking at many areas of neurological disease, such as epilepsy, neurodegenerative diseases and neurodevelopmental conditions. Across the day, we'll examine how AI can support innovation at every stage of the brain health pathway, including: Risk stratification – identifying who is most at risk Early detection and diagnosis – spotting conditions sooner and more accurately Prevention – reducing risk where possible Treatment and care – developing better pathways, including personalised medicine We will explore how these advances can lead to improved patient outcomes and wider societal benefits – while remaining clear-eyed about the challenges and responsibilities that come with using AI in healthcare. Who should attend This event has been designed with a wide audience in mind, including: Academics and researchers working in AI, neuroscience, neurology, informatics and related fields Clinicians and healthcare professionals Those working in industry PhD students and early-career researchers The day offers a valuable opportunity to build new collaborations, share expertise and help shape the future of AI-driven brain health research at Edinburgh and beyond. Agenda 9:00 – 9:30 Registration (Coffee and pastries) 9:30 – 9:45 Opening remarks - Professor Lorna Marson, Professor of Transplant Surgery and Dean of Clinical Medicine 9:45 – 10:15 Keynote speaker - Dr Dimitrios Vitsios, Senior Director, Agentic AI Innovation Lead, Astra Zeneca 10:15 – 11:00 Patient voice discussion* 11:00 – 11:15 Coffee break 11:15 – 12:45 Panel discussion – Diagnosis and Prevention** 12:45 – 13:45 Lunch 13:45 – 15:15 Panel discussion – Treatment and Care*** 15:15 – 15:30 Coffee break 15:30 – 16:00 Fireside chat between Professor Julie Jacko, University of Edinburgh's Usher Institute, and Professor Donald McAskill, Scottish Care 16:00 – 16:15 Closing remarks * Patient voice discussion Chair: Shane Canning, Head of Communications, GAIL Dr Tracy Jackson, Associate Dean for Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh Sammy Waite, Patient and Community Involvement in Research Officer, Clinical Research Facility, University of Edinburgh** Panel discussion – Diagnosis and PreventionChair: Professor Julie Jacko, Professor of Health Informatics and Data Science, Chief Academic Officer of Usher Institute and College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine Dean of Innovation and Engagement, University of EdinburghPanel:Professor Miguel Bernabeu Llinares, Professor of Computational Medicine, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh Professor Julien Reboud, Professor in BioSystems Engineering, James Watt School of Engineering, University of GlasgowDr Shama Rahman, Innovation Fellow, School of Informatics, University of EdinburghDr Milly Lo, Consultant Paediatric Intensivist and Research Lead for Paediatric Critical Care Medicine, Usher Institute (Centre for Medical Informatics), University of Edinburgh Dr Javier Escudero, Reader in Biomedical Signal Processing, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh*** Panel discussion – Treatment and Care Chair: Professor Ram Ramamoorthy, Professor of Robot Learning and Autonomy, Director, Centre for AI in Assistive Autonomy and Director, Generative AI Laboratory, University of EdinburghPanel:Professor Ian Simpson, Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Director UKRI Artificial Intelligence CDT in Biomedical Innovation, University of Edinburgh Dr Jayakara (Jay) Shetty, Consultant Paediatric Neurologist, NRS Fellow, and Honorary Senior Lecturer, Centre for Inflammation Research, University of EdinburghProfessor Sue Fletcher-Watson, Professor of Developmental Psychology, Centre for Biomedicine Self and Society, Usher Institute, University of EdinburghProfessor Neil Carragher, Professor of Drug Discovery and Director of Science, Edinburgh Cancer Research, University of EdinburghDr Donald MacIntyre, NIHR Senior Investigator; Director, NRS Mental Health Network; Associate Medical Director, NHS 24. Honorary Reader; Consultant Psychiatrist, University of Edinburgh Please note that due to a planning cutoff from the caterer, we cannot accept dietary restriction information after EOD 07/09/2026. Sep 21 2026 09.00 - 16.15 AI for Brain Health Celebrating the University of Edinburgh's place in medical and AI research history with a look into the conjoining of these fields with a focus on brain health and the future of this exciting area of research. John McIntyre Conference Centre, Pollock Estate, Edinburgh, EH16 5AY Link to PDF map of Pollock Estate Register This article was published on Thursday 6 August 2026
Sep 21 2026 09.00 - 16.15 AI for Brain Health Celebrating the University of Edinburgh's place in medical and AI research history with a look into the conjoining of these fields with a focus on brain health and the future of this exciting area of research.
