Yesterday, Prof. Dr. Strauss, head of the Systems Neuroscience & Neurotechnology Unit, participated in a hearing by the German Ethics Council, discussing the ethical implications of new neurotechnologies. His presentation, titled “A Window into the Brain – How Can Neurotechnology Measure and Influence Attention and Emotions?”, explored the cutting-edge capabilities of neurotechnologies in measuring and potentially influencing brain functions like attention and emotions.
Last week, members of the Systems Neuroscience & Neurotechnology Unit had the pleasure of attending the event “Patientenorientierte Versorgungssteuerung – digital vor ambulant vor stationär”, hosted by the Health.AI Network in Saarland.
The event featured a series of insightful talks addressing critical topics such as access to healthcare, the current state of healthcare infrastructure, and the gender health gap. These discussions offered valuable perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in shaping a more equitable and efficient healthcare system.
We were proud to contribute to the program by presenting two of our collaborative projects with Health.AI:
The event provided a fantastic platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and discovering other innovative projects in the digital health space. A heartfelt thank you to Health.AI for the invitation and the opportunity to be part of such a forward-thinking initiative!
On 30 September 2025, the Saarland University Medical Center will host a special event on the emerging field of Automotive Health. This concept brings together mobility, digitalization and healthcare, aiming to transform vehicles into active partners for prevention, early diagnosis and emergency care.
The discussion will feature Dr. Manfred Knye, physician, author and the originator of the term Automotive Health. Together with experts from medicine, engineering and industry, the event will explore how cars equipped with smart sensors and driver monitoring systems could move beyond safety functions to become tools for long-term wellbeing.
Topics include the role of university medicine in ensuring clinical validity, opportunities for new business models such as Health as a Service, and the impact of upcoming EU regulations that will make driver monitoring mandatory from 2026.
The event is organized in cooperation with the Center for Digital Neurotechnologies Saar (CDNS) and saaris, highlighting the region’s pioneering role in linking mobility and healthcare.
When: 30 September 2025, 14:00–19:00
Where: Saarland University Medical Center
As part of his 2025 summer tour, Saarland’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Jürgen Barke, visited the Center for Digital Neurotechnologies Saar (CDNS) at the University Hospital in Homburg. We were pleased to welcome him and showcase our research on how neurotechnology and digital innovation can transform clinical care.
CDNS is dedicated to advancing human-centered digital technologies in biomedicine, human-machine interaction, and sensory immersion through neuroscientific and neurotechnological research. During the visit, Minister Barke was introduced to several of our key initiatives, including the Multi-Immerse project – a collaboration between UKS, Saarland University, htwsaar, ZeMA, and DFKI – which enables emotionally rich virtual interactions for hospitalized children, helping bridge physical distance through immersive technology.
Additional projects presented included digital support inside operating theaters, contactless screening setups for adults and preterm infants, and our mobile research vehicle.
We greatly appreciated the Minister’s interest in our interdisciplinary work and his recognition of the importance of strengthening Saarland as a center for clinically relevant neurotechnology. His visit underscored the value of collaboration between science, medicine, and policy in shaping the future of healthcare.
Yesterday, we had the opportunity to present our project Digital Scrubs at the final event of the BMBF funding initiative “AI-based assistance systems for process-supporting healthcare applications (KIAS)” in Frankfurt. From compact project spotlights to thought-provoking workshops, the event highlighted the diversity and real-world potential of AI in healthcare – while also addressing the remaining hurdles on the way to clinical implementation. A true highlight: the open exchange with other project teams and the discussions on AI as a co-pilot in hospitals and how to carry research into practice. Many thanks to BMBF and the organizing team for this inspiring day – we’re taking home plenty of fresh ideas!
Last week marked the official start of VI-Screen PRO, the follow-up to our successful BMBF-funded project VI-Screen. The project was launched with a productive kick-off meeting, bringing together all consortium partners. VI-Screen PRO is supported by the BMBF within the funding framework “BMBFTR – Innovationen im Einsatz: Praxisleuchttürme der zivilen Sicherheit”. The aim of the project is to develop a demonstrator system for contactless virus screening, targeting the mitigation of virus transmission in high-traffic environments. We are excited to collaborate once again with our esteemed partners: Saarland University, Saarland University Hospital, TU Berlin, and our new partner Cubical GmbH. Together, we look forward to a successful project phase and impactful outcomes.
At the first Saarland Digital Health Congress, we had the opportunity to present our project Digital Scrubs and join more than 100 experts in discussing what healthcare could look like in 2030. We gained valuable insights through workshops on topics like the electronic patient record, user-centered design, and digitalization barriers. A true highlight: the keynote by Dr. Tobias Grandt – a passionate call for courage and progress in healthcare. An inspiring day full of exchange, future visions, and a shared goal: driving digital health forward in Saarland!
Yesterday, we were honored to welcome Mr. Milde from the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology, and Space (BMBFTR), along with Ms. Kriewald from the Ministry of Science of Saarland. The visit provided an excellent opportunity for in-depth discussions on the current landscape of research at German universities of applied sciences. During the exchange, we presented several of our ongoing projects in various research fields, showcasing the interdisciplinary work driving innovation in the field. We are grateful for the visit and the productive dialogue, and we look forward to continued collaboration at both the federal and state levels.
Dr. Farah Corona-Strauss recently visited several partner universities in Mexico to present ongoing research conducted in our laboratory and to introduce students to the international Master’s program in Neural Engineering offered in Germany.
During her trip, Dr. Corona-Strauss had the pleasure of visiting the Instituto Tecnológico de Mérida, where she met with the university president, Dr. José Antonio Esquivel. She also returned to her alma mater, the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, strengthening ties with her academic roots.
The presentations were met with great interest, highlighting the strong enthusiasm for research collaboration and international study opportunities. We are pleased to continue fostering close connections with our colleagues and academic partners in Mexico.
We sincerely thank our hosts for their warm welcome and generous invitation!
On May 9, we had the opportunity to present our EU-funded project Multi Immerse at Europe Day in Saarbrücken. The project focuses on enhancing the sense of human closeness through multisensory optimization of immersive virtual visits to seriously ill children. Together with our partners from UKS, EmRoLab, ZeMa, and DFKI, we showcased various components of the project, including our contactless camera system for detecting microexpressions and a robot designed to virtually transmit human touch.
