Global experts gather to explore AI and the future of health

The event, held at UEL’s Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability on 11 and 12 June, placed human-centred research at the forefront of discussions around artificial intelligence, healthcare innovation, wearable technologies and future systems. Organised in partnership with the International Association of Human Interaction and Emerging Technologies (IHIET), and led by honorary conference chairs Dr Andrew Arewa, Senior Lecturer in Engineering Project Management and Quantity Surveying, and Dr Seyed Ali Ghorashi, Director of Impact and Innovation - both from UEL’s School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering (ACE) - the conference featured a diverse and international programme of sessions and speakers.

Opening the conference, UEL’s Professor David Tann, Vice Provost (Technology) and Executive Dean of ACE, set the tone for a dynamic and timely event, His remarks were followed by a powerful plenary speech from Dr Matteo Zallio, Assistant Professor at the University of Cambridge, founder of the Metavethics Institute, and former Fulbright Research Fellow at Stanford University, who urged delegates to consider the ethical dimensions of emerging technology in his talk The metavethics of care: integrity and AI in healthcare.

Sessions across both days featured cutting-edge research and insights on the future of work, intelligent design and health-focused technologies. Speakers joined from across the globe -including Germany, Singapore, Mexico, Canada, the United States, Finland, South Korea, Estonia, Taiwan, France, and many more - underscoring the truly international nature of the conference.

Day one included compelling presentations on emerging healthcare applications and workplace innovation. Researchers shared findings on early arthritis detection using convolutional neural networks, machine learning for skin cancer diagnosis, and the role of wearable tech in improving health and safety for high-risk workers.  

Day two continued with a strong focus on applied health technologies and global care systems. Dr Mohammad Rashed Khan from the University of Salford opened the morning plenaries with a session on supporting migrant care workers through emerging tech, including AI-powered translation, digital wellbeing tools and virtual learning platforms. Dr Ismaeel Husain of the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers followed with insights on transforming lessons from safety incidents into long-term sector progress.

Parallel sessions explored the use of AI in mental health assessment, youth sports injury prevention, and remote patient monitoring through real-time pose estimation. Other discussions included cardiomyocyte activity tracking using computer vision and the development of inclusive digital tools for the visually impaired.

In addition to technical presentations, the conference featured a poster demonstration programme showcasing cutting-edge work in robotics, digital twins, AI-assisted healthcare frameworks and data governance models.

Reflecting on the success of the event, Professor David Tann said,

We are delighted to host this highly prestigious international conference and welcome experts from across the world to campus. The conference's central theme was applying AI and future systems in healthcare. It aligns strongly with our Year of Health theme and our commitment to addressing global challenges such as ageing populations, rising healthcare demands, and health inequalities. Our approach is rooted in human-centred applied research, inclusive education, and interdisciplinary innovation and collaboration, all aimed at making a meaningful impact on both local and global communities.”

Dr Seyed Ali Ghorashi, Director of Impact and Innovation at ACE and co-chair of the conference, added,

What I truly valued about this conference was its strong emphasis on human interaction, reminding us that technology should ultimately serve people, not the other way around. The health-focused nature of the event aligns perfectly with our university’s mission to tackle global challenges through human-centred, applied research. It also enhanced our research environment by fostering new international collaborations and interdisciplinary dialogue. We are proud to have hosted such a vibrant and impactful gathering at UEL."

The IHIET-FS 2025 conference is a key part of UEL’s visionary Year of Health – a university-wide campaign driving forward health innovation, equitable policy advocacy and the use of technology to reduce health disparities in Newham and beyond.