Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWMIn this interview, Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Küfer, Head of the »Optimization in the Life Sciences« department, and his deputy Dr. Alexander Scherrer report on developments in our research in the healthcare sector.
»Optimization in the Life Sciences« – Socially relevant, wide-ranging, individual
Interview with Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Küfer and Dr. Alexander Scherrer
The »Optimization in the Life Sciences« department has been in existence for around two years. What makes working in this focus area different from the other departments in the division?
Küfer: The topics of health and medicine have always met with greater interest in external communication and also appeal to many people emotionally, because unlike technical topics, they actually affect everyone. Our research aims to support decision-making – for those treating and caring for patients, but also for the sick and those in need of help.
The results of our work often lead to changes in behavior. This requires a great deal of sensitivity, because at the core, people don‘t want any changes at first.
The life sciences are not new territory for us. Although the department has only been around since 2022, we previously had the major flagship project for radiotherapy planning for many years. We have been cooperating with internationally renowned medical research companies such as the German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg University Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital as well as the global market leader Siemens Healthineers – Varian Medical Systems for a long time, and we now have a much broader thematic and methodological base, which is why it made sense to establish a separate department for focused communication of our activities.
Scherrer: In the healthcare sector, the »Optimization« division began shortly after the institute was founded in the 1990s with projects for clinical patient transport. In 2001, we started with the planning of radiotherapy, which for me personally meant starting as a doctoral student at the Fraunhofer ITWM. These many years of industry experience in the life sciences have paid off particularly in the past six years, during which we have succeeded in entering many new fields of application thanks to intensive networking and acquisition work.
We have never had so many research and industry projects on topics from medicine, healthcare and social services as we have recently, and we cooperate with numerous partners from Germany, Europe and beyond. The strong strategic »regional axis« between Mainz as a healthcare location and Kaiserslautern as a technology location is important for us.
Küfer: The target group for our solutions has become much broader. Even in radiotherapy, we had to respond to the needs of the doctors planning the treatment. Above all, they want intuitive software tools with well-communicated and balanced treatment plans and were very open to new approaches to improve their work in the interests of seriously ill patients. The discussion of mathematical methods in the background is less important in the life sciences than in technical issues, which we often discuss with welltrained research engineers, for example.
What does this mean in practice for the composition of the project teams?
Küfer: All project teams in the »Optimization« division are put together according to methodological expertise for the respective issue under consideration. Projects are assigned to departments and employees work freely across departmental boundaries. However, it is important to speak the language of the respective industry and to present a less methodical approach. In the life sciences in particular, we use mathematics and computer science to fill gaps that – when approached in an interdisciplinary manner – offer great opportunities for innovation and improvements in the field.
An important field of application for our projects for many years has been oncology, where individualized therapy design is a major topic. For decades, cancer patients were always treated in the same way, e.g. with the same radiation doses. New approaches are now being taken to both radiation and medication, as people respond differently to therapies. Individually designed decisions take tumor markers, blood values and other parameters into account. Our mathematics helps us do this. For example, we are part of a working group of the German Research Foundation under the heading »Optimal Stopping Radiotherapy«. We have also been sought-after experts on infection and pandemic prevention since the coronavirus era.
Where do you think the journey will take us?
Scherrer: In recent years, projects have been added that focus on digitalization and the use of artificial intelligence in geriatric diseases, care and mental health. Overall, advancing digitalization is opening up new possibilities in many fields. All available information can be brought together and used jointly in order to adapt the procedure to the individual circumstances in the best possible way. This applies to care through the use of artificial intelligence, for example, to support care planners in making complex decisions. In general, AI can create major improvements in many areas of the life sciences, but the responsible use of AI for and on people is a key challenge.
Improving healthcare, increasing the chances of recovery, supporting diagnoses - these are the goals that the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft wants to achieve in the lead market "healthcare industry". We are contributing to this, particularly with our focus on smart tools for decision-making and the optimal use of digitalization.
Küfer: In terms of content, there is still a lot to be done, particularly in care. Currently, only 25 percent of people are cared for in a nursing home, but this will not remain the case for much longer due to demographic change and the shortage of skilled workers. How can better use be made of decentralized care in the area? The complex organization and the distribution of the few resources in the form of skilled staff are also major challenges. These offer a huge opportunity for our mathematics – whether in cancer research, heart disease or other areas of focus.