The researcher from CITIC at the University of A Coruña, Susana Ladra, participated in the SINFILTRO event on December 17th, where she provided an in-depth view of the application of artificial intelligence in the healthcare field. In her presentation, Ladra explored the current uses of AI, the opportunities it opens for the future of medicine, and the ethical and technical challenges its implementation poses.

AI is transforming healthcare by offering significant improvements in areas such as diagnostic accuracy, personalized treatments, remote patient monitoring, and disease anticipation. Susana Ladra presented practical examples like the DATAMICROCCR project, an initiative within the Complementary Plan for Biotechnology Applied to Health (PCBAS) funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the EU through the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. This project, developed in collaboration with the Biomedical Research Institute of A Coruña (INIBIC), uses AI to analyze the impact of the microbiome on the development and treatment of colorectal cancer, the third most diagnosed globally and the first in Spain.

The study focuses on identifying beneficial and harmful bacterial populations present in the human microbiome, particularly in the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract, to understand their influence on the effectiveness of therapies such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy. To this end, advanced bioinformatics tools and analysis algorithms are being developed to manage clinical and genomic data. This plan, coordinated in Galicia by the Kaertor Foundation, includes projects from Galician universities and health research institutes, funded by the Regional Ministry of Education, Science, Universities and Vocational Training through the Galician Innovation Agency (GAIN).

In addition to detailing the progress of this project, Ladra addressed the technical and ethical challenges inherent in the use of AI in healthcare, such as data privacy, algorithm transparency, and potential biases that could affect treatment equity. The CITIC researcher emphasized that AI is not intended to replace healthcare professionals but to enhance their capabilities, providing more effective tools to solve complex problems in clinical settings.

Following Susana Ladra’s presentation, a round table was held to discuss the application of artificial intelligence in healthcare. During the debate, the researcher was accompanied by Benigno Rosón, Deputy Director General of Systems and ICT of the Regional Ministry of Health; Javier de Toro, Vice President of the Medical Association of A Coruña; and Javier Sueiras, CIO of Molins.

As the event’s closing, a discussion was led by presenter Marcelo Castelo, along with actor Carlos Blanco and the artists Fillas de Cassandra.