History

Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences and Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland

Symposium Chairs: Dr. Alan Wang, Associate Professor in University of Auckland

The Symposium on AI-Based Medicine and Biological Data Analysis was held on Monday, 8 June 2026, at the Grafton Campus, The University of Auckland. The symposium provided an interdisciplinary platform for researchers, scholars, and students to exchange ideas on artificial intelligence, multimodal biomedical data analysis, medical imaging, signal processing, and intelligent healthcare applications.

The programme featured a range of presentations covering AI-enhanced rehabilitation technologies, stroke recovery prediction, medical image analysis, retinal vessel recognition, image fusion, EEG-based motor decoding, brain frailty, multimodal data fusion, cancer imaging, and early brain development. Presentations highlighted the use of deep learning, machine learning, multimodal modelling, biomedical signal analysis, and data-driven approaches to address clinically relevant problems across neurorehabilitation, medical imaging, and translational health research.

A key theme of the symposium was the integration of heterogeneous biomedical data, including imaging, clinical, motor, neurobiological, retinal, and EEG signals, to support more accurate analysis, prediction, and decision-making. Discussions also considered how AI-based tools can contribute to rehabilitation, diagnosis, prognosis, and personalised healthcare, while recognising the challenges of data quality, model generalisation, interpretability, and clinical translation.

Overall, the symposium created a valuable opportunity for knowledge exchange and collaboration among researchers working at the interface of AI, medicine, biological data analysis, and rehabilitation technology. It also helped identify future directions for collaborative projects, methodological development, and application-oriented research in intelligent biomedical data analysis.

Faculty of Engineering, Erciyes University

Symposium Chair: Dr. Cigdem Guluzar Altintop, Senior Engineer and Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering

In recent years, the integration of biomedical engineering with pharmacological research has become increasingly important. Traditional drug evaluation methods often rely on behavioral assessments or biochemical markers; however, physiological signals such as EEG provide a direct and non-invasive window into brain function. Changes in neural activity induced by pharmacological treatments or substance use can be effectively captured and quantified using advanced signal-processing techniques.

The rapid development of machine learning algorithms has further enhanced the ability to classify, model, and predict drug-related effects from biomedical data. These approaches support a deeper understanding of drug mechanisms, treatment monitoring, and personalized medicine, making them highly relevant for modern biomedicine.

Birmingham City University

Symposium Chair: Dr. Chinny Nzekwe-Excel, Associate Professor in Birmingham City University

This symposium explored how urban ecological planning can enhance sustainable habitats for bird populations, with a particular focus on the song thrush (Turdus philomelos). Drawing on data from four urban greenspaces in Sheffield, UK, the study examined tree species composition, structural characteristics, and the availability of fruiting trees that support this iconic species.

Using quantitative methods, the research measured tree richness, evenness, and density across the selected greenspaces, revealing statistically significant differences in habitat quality. Each site demonstrated distinct ecological contributions that benefit the song thrush and, in turn, promote broader environmental sustainability for urban communities.

The findings offer valuable insights into how urban greenspaces can be improved to strengthen biodiversity. Practical, evidence-based recommendations were presented to guide municipalities—such as City Councils—in enhancing tree stock, enriching habitats, and supporting long-term ecological resilience.