Mitja Luštrek
Mitja is an expert in applying machine learning, and decision support, to address diverse societal problems — particularly health. His work has contributed to life-changing solutions. For example, developing assistive technology to help people with disabilities feel more empowered and independent.
Recently, he and his team have been using machine learning to predict chronic adult diseases in children and young people. They’re also currently exploring the use of wearable technology and non-intrusive sensors to monitor people’s wellbeing in the workplace.
Achievements include
- Postdoc at the University of Rostock, Institute for Biostatistics and Informatics in Medicine and Ageing Research
- PhD in computer and information science
- Visiting researcher at the University of Alberta, Canada (2005)
- Co-author: Blood pressure estimation from photoplethysmogram using a spectro-temporal deep neural network
- Co-author: Monitoring stress with a wrist device using context
- Co-author: Accelerometer placement for posture recognition and fall detection
In my own words…
I think that most social innovators do what feels right to them or what they hear other people say is good. The more advanced ones look for studies that tell them what works with some more rigour. What we would like to achieve is that they start looking at raw data available to them in reasonably sophisticated ways, and that they generate their own data, analyse it and pick the way forward based on the evidence emerging from it.
I believe AI is one of the greatest things ever. But we need real-world societal issues, real problems, to apply it to — and this is what this opportunity gives us.