Less than 24 hours after completing the Windermere Marathon, I found myself setting off at 4am for Brussels to represent the University of Liverpool at the EMERGE-EU AI in Health Networking Visit.
The timing wasn't ideal. While my marathon medal was still sitting on the kitchen table, I was making my way through the airport. My legs held up surprisingly well, but by the end of the trip, they were reminding me of the previous day's exertions, particularly on staircases…
After arriving in Brussels, I headed straight to the event venue, just in time for the start of a busy first day. The EMERGE-EU networking visit brought together researchers from across Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Slovakia and the UK, with expertise ranging from medical imaging and bioinformatics to robotics, drug discovery and computational social science.
As a Senior Research Software Engineer at the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Population Health and a member of the Federated Methods team, I work on DataSHIELD and the Federated North project. I attended the event to represent Liverpool’s expertise in federated analytics and privacy-preserving health research, an area that aligns closely with the University’s AI for Life research frontier and growing interest in trustworthy data-driven innovation.
One of the most rewarding aspects of the visit was discovering how many researchers are facing challenges that DataSHIELD was specifically designed to address. During one conversation, a researcher working at the intersection of machine learning and biomedicine described how difficult it had been to access data from local hospitals for genomics and chronic disease research. Data controllers were understandably cautious about sharing sensitive information, but the restrictions were also slowing down scientific progress. When I explained the federated approach used by DataSHIELD, where analyses can be performed without moving individual-level data, the response was immediate: this was exactly the type of solution they had been looking for. We have already agreed to continue the conversation after the event.
What struck me most was this was not an isolated challenge. Similar conversations emerged throughout the event. Researchers working in genomics, medical imaging and population health repeatedly described difficulties accessing and sharing sensitive health data. In many cases, the scientific questions were not the limiting factor; access to data was. It was a powerful reminder that federated approaches such as DataSHIELD are becoming increasingly relevant as researchers seek ways to collaborate across institutions and national boundaries without moving patient-level data.
There was also significant interest in medical imaging and omics research, both areas where DataSHIELD and federated approaches could play an important role. I met researchers applying AI to cancer genomics, pharmacogenomics, computational pathology, medical imaging and explainable AI. Although their scientific questions differed, many shared common challenges around access to data and the ability to collaborate across organisations and countries.
Brussels itself also provided plenty of opportunities to explore between sessions. I was staying near Bruxelles-Midi station and managed to visit both the Grand Place and the European Quarter. During a guided walk around the European institutions, our group stopped outside the Institut International de Solvay, famous for hosting the fifth Solvay Physics Council in 1927. Standing outside the building, the group attempted to recreate the iconic photograph featuring some of the greatest scientific minds of the twentieth century. I suspect our version may not become quite as famous.
The event also provided a valuable opportunity to learn more about European research funding. Sessions on the European Research Council, European Innovation Council, Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, and COST offered useful insights into the funding landscape. While the ERC presentations highlighted the prestige and ambition of its grants, they also reinforced just how competitive they are.
One concept that surfaced repeatedly in conversations was the European Health Data Space. Although it was not the focus of a dedicated session, several attendees and organisers highlighted its growing importance. The EHDS aims to improve access to and reuse of health data across Europe, creating opportunities for cross-border research and innovation. For those of us working on federated analysis infrastructures, it was difficult not to see the potential alignment between these ambitions and platforms such as DataSHIELD.
For me, the visit reinforced that federated approaches such as DataSHIELD have an important role to play in this evolving landscape. As researchers seek ways to collaborate without compromising privacy, there is a growing need for infrastructure that enables secure, cross-border health research. The trip may have started with sore legs and a very early alarm, but it ended with new contacts, fresh ideas and several promising opportunities for future collaboration. More importantly, it demonstrated that expertise being developed at the University of Liverpool, particularly within the Federated Methods Team, is helping to address challenges that researchers across Europe are actively trying to solve.
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Reach out to the team: datashield@liverpool.ac.uk