A new institute for medical AI

IMAI will be a world-leading research institute for medical AI, translating research findings into clinical practice and educating the next generation of leaders in the field. IMAI is the central hub for AI at the Heidelberg-Mannheim hospital system and the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University, one of the world's oldest universities. The Innovation & Implementation Center (IIC) within IMAI works with clinical teams to take research prototypes through prospective evaluation and monitors their ongoing use. The institute also builds and operates clinical AI infrastructure, advises research groups and clinical teams on implementing AI projects, coordinates industry collaborations, and supports the creation of start-ups. The team is highly interdisciplinary and includes specialists in medicine, computer science, physics, biology, engineering, and law. Every member speaks both the language of medicine and the language of technology.

AI creates real value where large volumes of data are available in a structured digital format within a secure and controlled environment, so that patient data remain protected and all legal requirements are met. IMAI is also contributing to the wider academic ecosystem, the Health + Life Science Alliance Heidelberg Mannheim.

Selected work led by the institute’s research group leaders spans clinical agents, AI safety, computational pathology, and standards for clinical use.

IMAI consists of independent research labs and the Innovation & Implementation Center. Each principal investigator leads a lab and sets its research programme. The IMAI office and core structures support new groups and provide access to shared clinical and technical resources. Junior principal investigators can build independent programmes while remaining affiliated with an established lab.