Health is a topic of great importance to Swiss society. The SNSF is funding research on this topic at universities of applied sciences (UAS) and universities of teacher education (UTE) for a limited period. This will provide additional funding opportunities for promising projects on health and wellbeing. The general aim is to strengthen use-inspired research at the universities of applied sciences and universities of teacher education. In the second call for projects launched in November 2023, three PI of The Sense from three different institutes at the HES-SO Valais-Wallis stood out thanks to their projects!
- 2.0 MR-Eye: Towards a Consensual Protocol for Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Human Eye
Pre Benedetta Franceschiello (Institute of Systems Engineering School of Engineering) / Pr Philippe Potty (HE-Arc – Haute Ecole Arc Ingénierie) / Pre Jessica Bastiaansen (Institut für Diagnostische Radiologie de l’Insel Gruppe)
The 2.0 MR-Eye project aims to develop an MRI technology capable of obtaining high-resolution images of the moving eye, eliminating the need for invasive procedures. Technically, the project aims to provide new signal and image reconstruction algorithms and a sensor that will handle an organ extremely sensitive to movement. Clinically, it will eliminate the need for eye stillness, eye patching, and anesthesia, opening opportunities for evaluating new pathologies via MR-Eye, reducing hospital equipment costs and examination time. Moreover, it could allow the study of neuronal activity in the retina and the interaction between the eyes and the brain. - Reducing Gender Bias in Detection of Autistic Spectrum Disorders Using a Co-Construction Approach with Computer Vision and Mixed Reality Exercises
Pr Antoine Widmer (Institute of Informatics School of Management) / Pr Paul Matusz (Institute of Health School of Health Sciences) / Pre Sarah Dini (Institut Travail Social de la Haute Ecole et Ecole Supérieure de Travail Social)
The project aims to create new effective diagnostic tools for all genders, as traditionally, they are still too oriented towards men in this field. Feedback from clinicians, patients, and the literature will be used to develop exercises in the form of video games and filmed interactions of everyday life. - XAI-Path : eXplainable Artificial Intelligence for histoPATHology
Henning Müller (Institute of Informatics School of Management) / Igor Letovanec (Hôpital du Valais)
The goal of this project is to implement user tests with decision support tools for pathologists. The project will be conducted in the oncology department, focusing mainly on lung cancer. A plugin in the Sectra histopathological viewer will implement tools into the normal clinical workflow. Tests, whether conducted with or without the tool and including explanations of the decisions made, are planned to measure the impact of the tools at different levels.