Artificial intelligence at the service of the patient
dr Andrew F Laine
Percy K. and Vida LW Hudson Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Professor of Radiology (Physics)
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University
dr Austin Chiang, PS’11 MD MPH
Chief Medical Officer of Gastrointestinal Business, Medtronic
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University
In conversation with:
dr Frances Onyimba, PS’12
Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine
Artificial intelligence, or the use of machine learning algorithms and deep learning software to mimic human cognition or rationality, has become the backbone of many of our day-to-day activities. Now the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze health data is increasing, especially in the fields of precision medicine, diagnostics and patient monitoring. These technologies have the potential to revolutionize patient care and disrupt the processes of healthcare organizations. But what can we expect when these technologies are implemented in the fields of healthcare and medicine rooted in human touch?
In this discussion, Dr. Austin Chiang, chief medical officer of Medtronic Gastroenterology, the first company to release AI software for colonoscopy, and Columbia University Professor Andrew Laine, who is studying the mathematical analysis of computer-assisted diagnosis, update the field , ethical considerations/gotchas and the implications for patient care.
Time will be set aside for Q&A.
Andrew F Laine is director of the Heffner Biomedical Imaging Lab in Columbia, where he focuses on mathematical analysis and quantification of medical images, signal and image processing, computational diagnosis, and biomedical/imaging informatics. His work is based on the analysis of structures at the molecular, cellular, tissue and organ level. The goal is to develop biomedical technology that addresses unmet clinical needs and translate that technology into commercial products that improve healthcare and save lives.
Laine was the first to use multiscale “wavelet” imaging to enhance subtle details in mammograms. Today, the algorithm he developed in 1992 is used in almost all commercial digital mammography systems. Laine currently uses multi-resolution wavelet techniques to classify pulmonary emphysema. He is also collaborating on a project in medical informatics to enable doctors to better diagnose a patient using both text and annotated findings from medical images. Laine’s work draws on techniques such as time-frequency decompositions/representations, speckle tracking, texture analysis, machine and deep learning, variational segmentation, parametrically deformable models, and image reconstruction.
Laine received a BS in Biological Sciences from Cornell University in 1977, an MS in Chemistry from the University of Connecticut in 1980, and a DSc in Computer Science from Washington University, St. Louis in 1989. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering. He is also a member of Columbia’s Data Science Institute.
AustinChiang is a Triple Board certified, Dual Ivy League (Harvard, Columbia) educated and licensed Gastroenterologist and Advanced Endoscopist. In October 2021, he became the first Chief Medical Officer of the Gastrointestinal business of Medtronic, the world’s leading medical technology company, responsible for products such as Barrx radiofrequency ablation devices, Pillcam capsule endoscopy products, EndoFLIP, Bravo, Sharkcore and GI Genius. Launch of an AI-powered polyp detection device that helps endoscopists better prevent colorectal cancer. The interests of Dr. Chiang encompasses novel endoscopic weight loss treatments as well as complex interventional endoscopic procedures, including the diagnosis and treatment of various gastrointestinal diseases and their complications. These include a variety of cancers that affect the gastrointestinal tract, such as pancreatic, bile duct, esophagus, stomach, colon, and liver cancer.
dr Chiang is currently an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Jefferson Health (Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals) in Philadelphia, PA, serving as Director of the Endoscopic Weight Loss Program and Chief Medical Social Media Officer for the Healthcare System. He is fully licensed and certified in the states of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. Having trained in the only dedicated bariatric endoscopy program, he is one of the few triple board certified advanced endoscopy physicians in the world. His triple board certifications include internal medicine and gastroenterology from the American Board of Internal Medicine and obesity medicine from the American Board of Obesity Medicine.
Frances Onimba MD is a Gastroenterologist at WellSpan Digestive Health with a focus on building multidisciplinary, specialized foregut programs. Prior to that, she was at the University of Maryland Medical Center, treating patients with esophageal disease and gastrointestinal dysmotility. She completed medical school at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons before completing her residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in GI motility and neurogastroenterology at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She then completed her General GI Fellowship at the University of California San Diego, where she served as Chief Fellow. In 2019, she was accepted into the American College of Gastroenterology’s Young Physician Leadership Scholars Program for leadership development and physician advocacy. Her interests include health communications and innovative health care programs and practices.
