Croucher Advanced Study Institutes Ignite Innovation in Pioneering AI for Biomedicine
2 Dec 2025
Over 80 scientists, AI researchers, hospital practitioners, and students gather at the Croucher Advanced Study Institutes (ASI), fostering an inspiring cross-disciplinary learning and collaboration in AI for biomedicine.
Professor Jiming Liu, Associate Vice President (Research Development) at HKBU (in the middle of the first row), shares insightful opening remarks on the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, highlighting how AI and biomedicine together can tackle complex healthcare challenges and advance innovative research.
Distinguished speakers from top global institutions deliver inspiring lectures on generative AI, medical imaging, computational pathology, and biomedical innovation, energising the audience at the Croucher Advanced Study Institutes.
Participants showcase cutting-edge research projects and receive valuable feedback from peers and global experts during dynamic poster sessions.
The Croucher Advanced Study Institutes (ASI) on “AI for biomedicine” concluded its three-day programme from 26 to 28 November, bringing together over 80 participants for an in-depth exploration of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. Supported by the Croucher Foundation, hosted by the Department of Computer Science, and in partnership with the Research Office at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), the event featured 12 lectures by six world-renowned scientists, all focused on accelerating AI’s impact in biomedicine.
The programme offered a dynamic blend of theoretical insights and practical applications, centering on generative AI, large-scale foundation models, and their methodologies for tackling biomedical challenges. Participants, including AI researchers, hospital practitioners, and students from across the region, engaged with cutting-edge topics ranging from neural image recovery to computational pathology.
Strategic Vision for Biomedical AI
“This gathering not only equipped participants with cutting-edge AI tools for biomedicine, but also sparked cross-disciplinary collaborations that are set to drive meaningful breakthroughs in this new era of AI-driven healthcare,” said Professor Jiming Liu, Associate Vice President (Research Development) at HKBU, in his opening remarks.
Professor Liu further emphasised HKBU’s strategic commitment to fostering research clusters, especially in Health, Drug Discovery, and Artificial Intelligence, where transformative innovations arise at the convergence of disciplines.
Highlights of the World-Renowned Speakers and Lectures
The programme's centerpiece was a series of 12 lectures delivered by leading experts, including:
Professor Lei Xing from Stanford University kicked off with an “Overview of Artificial Intelligence in Biomedicine”, followed by “Open Problems and Future Directions in Artificial Intelligence for Biomedical Applications”.
Professor Cavan Loy from Nanyang Technological University provided a foundational primer with “Overview of Generative AI and Foundation Models”, then explored “Applications of Generative AI and Foundation Models”.
Professor Kevin Zhou from the University of Science and Technology of China examined “Universal and Foundational Models of Medical Imaging AI: Traits and Trends” and “Neural Medical Image Recovery and Synthesis”.
Professor Yasuko Iwakiri from Yale University bridged basic science and clinical needs in “Unmet Needs in Biomedical Research: Insights from Fundamental Science to Patient Care” and highlighted “AI in Biomedical Research: Opportunities and Real-World Applications”.
Professor James Zou from Stanford University presented “AI Agents for Accelerating Scientific Discoveries”, discussing autonomous agents for genomic analysis, and “Molecular Biomedical Imaging in the Era of Spatial Omics”.
Professor Nasir M. Rajpoot from the University of Warwick grounded the discussions in pathology with “Fundamentals of Computational Pathology”, and charted “Computational Pathology: The Road Ahead”.
Poster Sessions: Sparking Collaboration and Knowledge Exchange
Complementing the lectures, two vibrant poster sessions showcased nearly 40 cutting-edge projects, ranging from machine learning in clinical settings and ethical AI guidelines to protein-folding innovations. These sessions transformed passive learning into active collaboration, as participants forged new partnerships and received direct feedback from global experts. “The posters sparked lively discussions and opened doors to further regional and international collaborations,” shared one bioinformatics PhD candidate.
Igniting Global Connections, Unleashing Biomedical Breakthroughs
As the Institute concluded, Professor Pong Chi Yuen, ASI Director and Chair Professor at HKBU, emphasised: “Gathering pioneering minds from around the world has truly sparked new possibilities. The connections and ideas formed here will drive a lasting impact on biomedicine and AI, both regionally and globally. We look forward to seeing the breakthroughs that will emerge from this community.” He also expressed sincere gratitude to the Croucher Foundation for improving Hong Kong’s scientific excellence, and to the organising committee for their concerted efforts in making the three-day programme a success.
