Lena Maier-Hein

Medical imaging with AI

Data science in surgery

Validation of AI models

Lena Maier-Hein heads the Intelligent Medical Systems Department at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and is the Managing Director of the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) in Heidelberg.

The data scientist’s research focuses on surgical data science, and in this context, she has developed, for example, a new generation of AI-supported imaging technologies for surgery. These systems allow surgical teams to gain enhanced insights into intraoperative processes and can, for example, visualize the structure and function of living tissue in real time and predict potential risks. This enables medical professionals to optimize surgical procedures. In addition, these systems can also be applied in other key areas of cancer research, such as early detection, diagnosis, and follow-up care.

Maier-Hein’s second focus is on validation of AI systems in medicine, that is, assessing whether the models deliver reliable results and function as intended in clinical practice. The aim of her research is to establish reproducible, objective, and trustworthy evaluation standards that ensure the sustainable clinical use of AI. Her work has contributed to internationally recognized standards for quality assurance and transparency in medical AI research. 

Maier-Hein has received numerous awards for her research and serves on several international committees. In addition to her work at the DKFZ, she is also a Professor at Heidelberg University and head of the “Surgical Artificial Intelligence” research group at Heidelberg University Hospital. Maier-Hein studied computer science at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, where she also received her doctorate in 2009. From 2012 onwards, Maier-Hein headed the Junior Group Intelligent Medical Systems at the DKFZ, which was elevated to department status in 2016.