Seminar · Informatics / Mathematics & Natural Sciences · Winter 2025/26

Computational Medical Imaging (Seminar)

The Computational Imaging Research (CoMI) Seminar at the University of Bonn explores current research in Computational Medical Imaging, including classical algorithms and deep learning-based approaches. Students critically analyze state-of-the-art research and develop both technical and presentation skills.

Image created with assistance from DALL·E for the CoMI Seminar at the University of Bonn.

Seminar: Computational Medical Imaging (CoMI)

  • Lecturers: Prof. Dr. Shadi Albarqouni
  • Module: MA-INF 2318
  • Credits: 2 SWS, 4 CP (120 h workload)
  • Programme: M.Sc. Computer Science
  • Language: English
  • Format: Seminar (2 SWS)
  • Time: Thursdays, 14:00 – 16:00
  • Location: TBD, INF 6+8

Description

The Computational Medical Imaging (CoMI) seminar provides an opportunity for students to explore, understand, and critically evaluate contemporary research in computational medical imaging — from classical algorithms to modern deep learning-based techniques.

Participants analyze recent publications from leading journals and conferences, deepening their understanding of medical image segmentation, registration, classification, uncertainty quantification, and bias/causality in imaging. The seminar emphasizes both technical expertise and scientific communication skills.


Learning Goals

Technical Skills

  • Understand and critically appraise current research in computational medical imaging.
  • Deepen expertise in medical image segmentation, registration, classification, uncertainty quantification, and bias/causality.
  • Extract core contributions from scientific papers and position them in the context of the state-of-the-art.

Soft Skills

  • Develop competence in independent literature search and paper analysis.
  • Present complex research effectively (written and oral), with appropriate visual and didactic support.
  • Engage in critical discussions and defend arguments scientifically.
  • Practice time management and constructive peer feedback.

Topics and Focus Areas

Seminar topics are drawn from recent publications in top-tier venues and may include:

  • Segmentation & Classification (e.g., anatomical structure delineation, lesion detection)
  • Registration & Alignment (e.g., atlas-based or diffeomorphic registration)
  • Quantitative Imaging & Radiomics (feature extraction, prognostic modeling)
  • Uncertainty Quantification & Bias (Bayesian learning, causal inference, dataset shift)
  • Deep Learning Architectures (U-Nets, GANs, Vision Transformers)
  • Ethical, Regulatory, and Clinical Translation Aspects

🗓 Seminar Schedule (Winter 2025/26)

DateThemeDescriptionPresenterKey References / Papers
23 Oct 2025Kick-off & IntroductionOverview of seminar format, expectations, topic assignments.Course TeamDuncan, J.S. and Ayache, N., 2002. Medical image analysis: Progress over two decades and the challenges ahead. IEEE transactions on pattern analysis and machine intelligence, 22(1), pp.85-106. PDF
30 Oct 2025Foundations of Computational Medical ImagingClassical image processing and analysis methods.Gonzalez & Woods, Digital Image Processing, Ch2-Ch4
06 Nov 2025Segmentation and ClassificationDelineation of anatomical structures and lesion detection.Gonzalez & Woods, Digital Image Processing, Ch10-Ch12, Litjens et al., Med Image Anal 42 (2017)
13 Nov 2025Registration and AlignmentImage registration methods: deformable, atlas-based, and deep learning approaches.Rueckert, D. and Schnabel, J.A., 2010. Medical image registration. In Biomedical image processing (pp. 131-154). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. PDF; Sotiras et al., IEEE TMI 32(7):1153–1190 (2013) PDF.
20 Nov 2025Quantitative Imaging & RadiomicsFeature extraction, radiomic biomarkers, and prognostic modeling.Lambin et al., Eur J Cancer 48 (2012) PDF; McCague, C., et al. “Introduction to radiomics for a clinical audience.” Clinical Radiology 78.2 (2023): 83-98. PDF.
27 Nov 2025Deep Learning Architectures IConvolutional Neural Networks, U-Nets for image segmentation and classification.Goodfellow, Ian, et al. Deep learning. Vol. 1. No. 2. Cambridge: MIT press, 2016. Ch-9 PDF; Ronneberger et al., MICCAI 2015 PDF;
04 Dec 2025Deep Learning Architectures IIGenerative Adversarial Networks, Vision Transformers, and self-supervised learning.Goodfellow, Ian, et al. Deep learning. Vol. 1. No. 2. Cambridge: MIT press, 2016. Ch-20 PDF; Goodfellow et al. 2020 PDF, Isola et al., CVPR 2017 PDF
11 Dec 2025Uncertainty QuantificationProbabilistic and non-probabilistic approaches to quantifying model uncertainty.Huang et al., Med Image Anal (2024) PDF.
18 Dec 2025Causality and Bias in Medical ImagingCausal reasoning and dataset bias in deep learning for medical applications.Castro et al., Nat Commun 11 (2020) PDF; Mittermaier, Mirja, Marium M. Raza, and Joseph C. Kvedar. “Bias in AI-based models for medical applications: challenges and mitigation strategies.” NPJ Digital Medicine 6.1 (2023): 113. PDF; Chinta, Sribala Vidyadhari, et al. “AI-Driven Healthcare: A Review on Ensuring Fairness and Mitigating Bias.” arXiv preprint arXiv:2407.19655 (2024). PDF
08 Jan 2026Ethics & Clinical TranslationRegulatory and ethical challenges of AI in healthcare.Topol E., Nature Med 25 (2019) PDF; Lekadir, Karim, et al. “FUTURE-AI: international consensus guideline for trustworthy and deployable artificial intelligence in healthcare.” bmj 388 (2025). PDF
15 Jan 2026Student Paper Presentations IStudent presentations and peer feedback.Students—
22 Jan 2026Student Paper Presentations IIContinuation of student presentations.Students—
29 Jan 2026Student Paper Presentations IIIFinal student session and discussion.Students—
05 Feb 2026Course Wrap-Up & OutlookSummary of insights and future directions in computational medical imaging.Course Team—

Learning Format

Students independently select and present recent research papers in computational medical imaging, fostering discussion and critical evaluation within the seminar group.

  • Group Presentation: A group of 2-3 Students will present a topic and raise some discussions among the students. They will be asked to write a written summary as a lecture note on their topic (15-20 pages).
  • Individual Presentation: Each individual will present a relevant paper of her/his choice at the end of the semester

At least one of the following:

  • MA-INF 2222 – Visual Data Analysis
  • MA-INF 2312 – Image Acquisition and Analysis in Neuroscience

A solid background in Python programming, linear algebra, probability, and numerical algorithms is recommended.


References and Resources

Relevant Journals:

  • Nature Machine Intelligence
  • Medical Image Analysis (MedIA)
  • IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging (TMI)
  • Radiology: AI, European Radiology, IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics

Relevant Conferences:

  • MICCAI (Medical Image Computing & Computer-Assisted Intervention)
  • CVPR (IEEE/CVF Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition)
  • MIDL (Medical Imaging with Deep Learning)
  • ISBI (International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging)
  • RSNA (Radiological Society of North America Annual Meeting)

Registration

Registration takes place via eCampus or by contacting Prof. Dr. Shadi Albarqouni.