Since the creation of its Artificial Intelligence Center in December 2023, the Centre Baclesse continues to develop its potential with the inauguration of its Workstation on Thursday March 6, 2025. Comprising several powerful computing stations designed for technical or scientific applications, it will accelerate Research & Development and training in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to provide tomorrow's new solutions for optimizing the care of cancer patients.
"The inauguration of this AI Workstation marks a crucial step for the Center in its commitment to integrating the most advanced technologies in the service of healthcare. Artificial intelligence in precision medicine offers immense potential for improving the care of cancer patients. Thanks to this new infrastructure, we are providing our researchers and healthcare professionals with tools to develop solutions tailored to the real needs of patients, while strictly respecting their data. This initiative will not only accelerate our research, but also train the next generation of experts in AI applied to healthcare, in order to meet the medical challenges of tomorrow,"said Prof. Roman ROUZIER, Director General of the Baclesse Center.
Autonomous algorithm development for high-quality, secure medical research
In order not to be dependent on external solutions that do not systematically meet patient data quality and security criteria, but also in a quest for scientific excellence, Baclesse has chosen to equip itself with operational, high-performance equipment for AI research work.
This workstation will enable teams to develop their own AI algorithms. To do so, models must be trained. This requires a large volume of data and powerful computing stations. These computing stations are expensive but essential for developing these algorithms. With this in mind, the Normandy Region financed a computing station through the "Booster IA" call for projects.
The Centre Baclesse has invested in several of these computing stations and in a new room, an "IA Workstation", where these developments can take place.
This new Workstation is used not only by students on their Master 2 courses in computer science, but also by PhD students working on their science and medicine theses on AI applied to healthcare.
Training tomorrow's experts
To ensure that tomorrow's AI experts are trained in the field of healthcare, and that healthcare professionals are also trained in the field of AI, Aurélien CORROYER-DULMONT, head of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) department and medical imaging researcher-engineer at the Centre Baclesse, is teaching courses on the application of AI in the fields of medical imaging and oncology.
"The creation of this AI Workstation represents a unique opportunity to train tomorrow's experts in both artificial intelligence and healthcare. By incorporating practical courses on the application of AI to real data, we are providing students and healthcare professionals with an environment conducive to learning and innovation. The goal is to provide them not only with solid technical skills, but also with a deep understanding of medical issues, so that they can actively contribute to the evolution of healthcare through AI," emphasizes Aurélien CORROYER-DULMONT.
Initially, these theoretical courses are aimed at second-year Master's students studying Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, and Health atthe University of Caen Normandy. There are around 20 students enrolled in this program. Then, starting in September 2025, healthcare professionals preparing for a university diploma (DU) in AI and Data with a health module will also be able to take specific courses on AI in healthcare. The upcoming launch of this DU is already generating a lot of excitement.
"The Baclesse Center is firmly committed to the digital transformation in healthcare, and this project is a perfect illustration of that. By integrating the most advanced technologies into our medical and scientific projects, we are giving our teams the means to innovate, develop customized algorithms, and contribute to the evolution of cancer treatments," adds Michael CANOVAS, Deputy Director General of the Baclesse Center.
The inauguration of its AI Workstation, an initiative combining technological performance and interdisciplinary collaboration, sets the stage for major new advances in patient care and the application of AI in healthcare.
