AI for Personalised Risk Prediction and Causal Understanding in Skin Cancer
Skin cancer is an increasing healthcare challenge, highlighting the need for better ways to identify people at elevated risk and guide prevention. Individuals differ considerably in their medical histories, and current risk assessment approaches could be further improved by incorporating additional information from patients’ health histories. This research project combines nationwide Danish health-register data with clinical skin cancer information to investigate how artificial intelligence can improve individual risk prediction. It also examines potential causal relationships between medication use and skin cancer. The project brings together expertise in dermatology, clinical pharmacology and computer science. Its long-term ambition is to support more personalized prevention and treatment, inform clinical guidelines and explore how risk predictions could assist healthcare professionals through existing clinical systems.
Researcher
Katja Naasunnguaq Jagd, Research Assistant (2026-2027), Industrial PhD student (2027-2030)
Project supervisors
Professor Merete Hædersdal, Clinical Professor and Chief Physician (main hospital supervisor); Professor Mads Nielsen, Professor, University of Copenhagen (university supervisor); Professor Espen Jimenez-Solem, Clinical Professor and Chief Physician (hospital co-supervisor); David Thein, MD, PhD, Resident Physician (hospital co-supervisor).
Project period:
01/01/2026 - 01/01/2030
Project collaborators
Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Bispebjerg Hospital; Department of Computer Science (DIKU), University of Copenhagen / Pioneer Centre for AI; Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Bispebjerg Hospital; Danish Research Center for Skin Cancer (VfHK). International collaboration with the Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University, New York.
Financing
Internal funding: Bispebjerg Hospital / Capital Region of Denmark. External funding: application to Innovation Fund Denmark for an Industrial PhD grant (pending). Christenson-Cesons Famileifond.