For the third consecutive year the innovative activities of the Institute of Computer Science (ICS) of the Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH) earned significant HealthCare Business Awards during the annual ceremony held on Thursday, October 20, 2022 at the Athens International Airport Conference Center.
The Hybrid Molecular Imaging Unit of the Institute of Computer Science of FORTH received the GOLD και PLATINUM Awards in the category "Research Centers", for the installation and operation of this innovative research infrastructure, which hosts a cutting-edge pre-clinical PET/MRI scanner that enables simultaneous PET and MRI acquisition together with a modern radiochemistry lab and an independent animal facility. The Hybrid Molecular Imaging Unit of the Institute of Computer Science of FORTH, is a modern strategic investment of the Foundation that positions the country at the forefront of translational research activities globally, making it a National Research Infrastructure. This innovative research infrastructure aspires to generates major contributions to the development and evaluation of modern precision medicine strategies for the management of a wide range of diseases such as malignancies, cardiovascular, rheumatological and neurological diseases. Within a framework of openness and transparency for the management of resources (human and material), this infrastructure opens up new horizons and possibilities for synergies with Universities, Research centers and private bio-medical research bodies. The awards were received by Dr. Georgios Papadakis, Principal Investigator, Head of the Hybrid Molecular Imaging Unit, –FORTH-ICS.
The Computational BioMedicine Laboratory (CBML) of the Institute of Computer Science of FORTH Received a GOLD Award in the category Compliance with Treatment and Medication", for providing a new reliable tool for the mathematical calculations concerning the calibration and diagnostic result of patients with increased iron deposition in parenchymal organs. The tool was developed in collaboration with the Department of Medical Imaging of the General University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, the 2nd Department of Radiology of the Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the iKnowHow S.A. company and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the Hellenic Mediterranean University. The award was received by Dr. Georgios Ioannidis, Postdoctoral Researcher of –FORTH-ICS and Mrs. Katerina Fotopoulou, CEO of iKnowHow S.A. company.
The Institute of Computer Science of FORTH received GOLD και PLATINUM Awards in the category " National / Regional Initiative" for its initiative to create, initially through a national and then through a European tender process, the first European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) “smartHEALTH” (https://smarthealth-edih.eu/) in the field of Digital Health. The EDIH “smartHEALTH” gathers internationally leading expertise in the fields of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, high-performance computing and core general application technologies to accelerate digital transformation and promote innovation in digital health. With the leading research centers of the country as a core, it will offer companies and public sector bodies throughout the Greek territory, but also abroad, complex services a) test before invest, b) development of advanced digital knowledge and skills, c) support access to funding and d) interface to develop the innovation ecosystem. In addition to FORTH (of which ICS is the coordinator and the scientific manager is its Director, Professor Dimitrios Plexousakis), the Centre for Research and Technology-Hellas, the National Centre for Scientific Research "Demokritos", ΑΤΗΕΝΑ Research and Innovation Centre, the University of Crete, the Technical University of Crete, the University of Western Macedonia, the Federation of Enterprises and industries of the Peloponnissos and Western Greece, the company UniSystems and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens also participate in the hub. The operation of the first EDIH for health is expected to start in January. The awards were received by Mr. Dimitrios G. Katehakis, Head of the Center for eHealth Applications and Services of –FORTH-ICS, Dr. Angelina Kouroubali, Collaborating Researcher of –FORTH-ICS, Mr. Dimitrios Filippidis, Senior Project Manager of the Center for eHealth Applications and Services and Mr. Apostolos Dimitriadis, Know-how Transfer Consultant, from the PRAXI Network of FORTH.
FORTH also received the Top Research Center Award as the research institution that received the most awards. Mr. Katehakis, Head of the Center for eHealth Applications and Services, received the award on behalf of ICS. The Director of the FORTH-ICS, Prof. Dimitris Plexousakis, stated: “We are honored by these awards and especially happy for the recognition of the multi-dimensional contribution of the Institute of Computer Science. The Health sector is a strategically chosen field of application of the research results of the Institute. Basic and applied research conducted at the Institute aim to develop new techniques for solving problems and optimizing methods that assist the diagnostic processes, contributing directly or indirectly to the improvement of the quality of life. At the same time, the development actions of the Institute contribute to the digital transformation of the Health field at regional, national and European levels”.
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