Team
Tanya Akumu
Tanya Akumu
University of BarcelonaTanya Akumu is a PhD researcher in AIMIX. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Computer Science at the University of Barcelona (Spain). Her research focuses on developing AI tools to improve access to prenatal care in low resource settings. Tanya holds an MSc in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and combines technical innovation with social impact, having led AI applications in healthcare and sustainable energy solutions in Africa.
Quique Bassat
Quique Bassat
ISGlobalDr. Quique Bassat is an ICREA Research Professor at the Barcelona Institute of Global Health (ISGlobal). He has a degree in Medicine from the Universitat de Barcelona (UB, 1999), a specialisation in pediatrics (UAB, 2004), and Masters in Tropical Medicine and International Health (UB, 2004) and Epidemiology (LSHTM, 2008). He obtained his PHD in the year 2009 (UB) with work on the treatment and clinical characterisation of malaria in Africa. He was based for several years at the Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), in Mozambique, although in recent years he has started projects in other countries, including Morocco, Papua New Guinea, Brazil or Bhutan. Currently, he is working in the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) as the Head of the malaria program.
Elisenda Bonet
Elisenda Bonet
BCNatalDr. Bonet-Carne is a Telecommunications engineer and a PhD in Biomedicine. Her research has specialised in medical image analysis and translational research, specifically in the field of Maternal and Fetal Medicine. She is currently the Scientific Manager at BCNatal Fetal Medicine Research Center and an Associate Professor at Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC). She has an h-index 16 with more than 28 articles published in peer-reviewed journals, and more than 800 citations. Dr. Bonet-Carne has extensive experience in quantitative image processing and data analysis in ultrasound images.
Elisenda Eixarch
Elisenda Eixarch
BCNatalDr. Eixarch is a distinguished clinician and consolidated researcher in the field of Maternal-and Fetal Medicine. She is senior specialist of Maternal and Fetal Medicine Unit at Clinic Hospital (Spain) and associated professor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Barcelona (Spain). She has an h-index 36 with more than 125 articles published in peer-reviewed journals and more than 5,200 citations; she has secured more than 1.6 M euros of funding. Dr. Eixarch has directed more than 5 doctoral theses, 1 master thesis trained and dozens of medical specialists from multiple nationalities in the last 10 years.
Eduard Gratacós
Eduard Gratacós
BCNatalDr. Gratacós is an internationally recognized clinician and consolidated researcher in the field of Maternal-and Fetal Medicine. He is the Head of Maternal and Fetal Medicine Unit at Sant Joan de Déu Hospital and Clinic Hospital (Spain) and full Professor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Barcelona (Spain). He has an h-index 76. He has published more than 550 articles in peer-reviewed journals with more than 22,200 citations; he has coordinated more than 60 national and international projects and; he has secured more than 30 M euros of funding. Dr. Gratacós has directed 43 doctoral theses and has trained more than 400 medical specialists from multiple nationalities.
Angela Koech
Angela Koech
Aga Khan UniversityDr Angela Koech Etyang is Assistant Professor at the Department of OB/GYN and co-principal investigator of the PRECISE Project at the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University – Nairobi. She is a medical doctor and holds an MMed (Obstetrics and Gynaecology) degree from the Aga Khan University and an MSc in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She has seven years’ experience in clinical medicine and over three years’ experience in clinical research in the area of maternal and newborn health. She has been involved in setting up and conducting several clinical studies alongside a perinatal surveillance program at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust research programme in Kenya.
Patrick Kulundu
Patrick Kulundu
Aga Khan UniversityPatrick Kulundu is a Data Management Associate at the Centre of Excellence for Women and Child Health(CoEWCH), where he supports all data related activities for the AIMIX Project. He holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science from Kenyatta University and has extensive experience in data management . His interests include AI/Machine Learning models in data science.
Nidhi Leekha
Nidhi Leekha
Aga Khan University HospitalDr. Nidhi Leekha is a consultant radiologist with subspecialty training in fetal imaging and contrast enhanced ultrasound. Since 2015, she has been a practicing consultant at the Aga Khan University Hospital, where she leads the ultrasonography department. Her academic passion is expanding access to ultrasound services in rural Kenya in order to improve maternal and fetal outcomes; she is involved in a number of initiatives and has received a number of prestigious grants to achieve this objective. She is the current treasurer of the Kenya Society of Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (KESUMB) and a member of the world federation of Ultrasound’s global ultrasound education task force.
Karim Lekadir
Karim Lekadir
University of BarcelonaDr. Karim Lekadir is the Director of the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Lab at the University of Barcelona. His research focuses on the concept of trustworthy AI for healthcare applications, including robustness, generalisability, fairness and explainability. He is the Scientific Coordinator of several European projects in AI for mental health, maternal health, cardiology and oncology. He is the Principal Investigator of the AIMIX project.
Maria Maixenchs
Maria Maixenchs
ISGlobalMaria Maixenchs has a Nursing degree from the University of Vic (UVic) and a BSc in Social and Cultural Anthropology from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB). She obtained her PhD at the University of Barcelona (UB) in 2020. She also has a MSc in Tropical Medicine and International Health from the UB, a BA on Culture of Peace (UAB) and a MSc in Clinical Research: International Health Track (UB).
Emmah Ng’ang’a
Emmah Ng’ang’a
Aga Khan UniversityEmmah (Ariana) Ng’ang’a is a Research Specialist at the Centre of Excellence for Women and Child Health (CoEWCH), where she also serves as the AIMIX Study Coordinator. She holds a B.A. in Economics and Sociology, an M.A. in Economic Policy Management, and is pursuing her PhD at University of Barcelona. Emmah leads the socio-ethical component for AIMIX, exploring the principles, challenges, and requirements for implementing inclusive AI. Her work aims to bridge the gap between technological innovation and community needs, fostering equitable and culturally sensitive healthcare solutions.
Stacy Otieno
Stacy Otieno
Aga Khan UniversityStacy Otieno is a Research Assistant Sonographer working with the PRECISE Network studies at the Aga Khan University Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Radiography from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. Stacy will be the sonographer responsible for collecting the ultrasound images for the AIMIX project.
Xènia Puig
Xènia Puig
University of BarcelonaDr. Xènia Puig is the Scientific Project Manager of AIMIX. She holds a Master’s degree in Molecular Biology and Biomedicine from the University of Girona (Spain) and a PhD in Neuropharmacology from the Technical University Munich (Germany). Additionally to being a Project and Lab Manager for the BCN-AIM group at the University of Barcelona, she also manages DataTools4Heart, a Horizon Europe project that seek to improve the clinical outcomes and data reusability in the field of cardiology by means of AI technologies.
Victor Campello
Victor Campello
University of BarcelonaDr. Víctor M. Campello is a postdoctoral researcher in AIMIX. He holds a PhD in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Barcelona (Spain). During his doctoral studies, he worked on generalizability of deep learning models for multi-centre datasets and organized the M&Ms Challenge, the first multi-centre and multi-vendor dataset for cardiac image segmentation. His research focuses on domain generalization and adaptation in AI.
Marleen Temmerman
Marleen Temmerman
Aga Khan UniversityProf Marleen Temmerman is the Director of the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, AKU East Africa. She is a health professional and researcher who started her international career in HIV/AIDS in Kenya, 1985. She managed to combine academic leadership including research (large track record of research projects and over 600 books and publications), clinical work (over 18,000 deliveries), teaching and mentorship (over 50 PhD students) across Europe, Africa, and China, with global leadership (Elected Senator Belgian Parliament – Chair Committee Foreign Affairs, Development and Defence; WHO Director; Founding Director International Centre Reproductive Health), and advocacy to the benefit of the scientific world and the community at large.
Martin G. Tolsgaard
Martin G. Tolsgaard
University of CopenhagenMartin G. Tolsgaard, MD PhD DMSc is a Professor at the Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Consultant, Department of Fetal Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet and Consultant, Copenhagen Academy for Medical Education and Simulation (CAMES), Capital Region, Denmark. He is the External Advisor for the AIMIX Project.
Ignacio Valenzuela
Ignacio Valenzuela
BCNatalDr. Valenzuela is an Obstetrics and Gynaecology specialist from Los Andes University (Chile) with a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from KU Leuven (Belgium). As a doctoral and postdoctoral researcher in the field of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Fetal Surgery, he has vast experience in perinatal neurodevelopment, placental insufficiency, and preclinical fetal surgery models. He has published more than 20 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and several book chapters on pregnancy-related conditions.
Grace Gathoni Wairimu
Grace Gathoni Wairimu
Aga Khan UniversityGrace Gathoni Wairimu is the Manager at the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Nairobi. Grace has worked in different roles across various institutions both private and public, with vast experience in Project Management, Sales and Marketing as well as Administration. She holds a Master’s Degree in Project Planning and Management from the University of Nairobi as well as a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing from the University of Nairobi.
Onesmus Wanje
Onesmus Wanje
Aga Khan UniversityOnesmus Wanje is a Community Liaison Officer and a leader in Community Engagement activities for the PRECISE network studies at the Aga Khan University’s Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health. He is currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) at Pwani University and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Community Health from the Technical University of Mombasa.
Sikolia Wanyonyi
Sikolia Wanyonyi
Aga Khan UniversityDr Sikolia Wanyonyi is a Consultant in Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine. He holds a Master of Medicine in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of the United Kingdom. Dr Sikolia also undertook a two-and-half year clinical research fellowship in fetal medicine at the University of Oxford Hospitals prior to re-joining the Aga Khan University Hospital in 2014 where he has been keen on introducing fetal medicine services in the region. He also holds an international Master in Maternal and Fetal Medicine from the University of Barcelona, Spain and a Diploma in fetal medicine from Fetal Medicine Foundation-Barcelona.