At the intersection of microbiology, epidemiology and artificial intelligence, Matthijs Berends, medical epidemiologist-microbiologist at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) and Certe, operates in a domain where clinical complexity meets data-driven decision-making. What began as a desire to better understand the potential of AI in healthcare has, over the past few years, translated into tangible changes in both his daily practice and his leadership trajectory. “My participation in the exquAIro Biomedical AI Bootcamp proved to be a catalyst. It not only deepened my technical understanding of data science, strengthened my role as a supervisor, but also equipped me to help shape new organizational structures around AI and epidemiology within the hospital.”
Data as a Clinical Instrument
Berends divides his time between Certe, a public centre which provides laboratory diagnostics in the Northern Netherlands, where he leads Medical Epidemiology, and the UMCG. Across both roles, his work is grounded in a single objective: enabling better clinical decisions through data analysis. “Our responsibility is not to make the decisions for clinicians,” Berends explains, “but to provide them with the information they need. Accurate, timely and clinically relevant.”
At Certe, Berends oversees epidemiological analyses that support infection prevention teams across hospitals in the Northern Netherlands. His group monitors the occurrence of resistant bacteria, translating complex microbiological data into actionable insights for clinical practice.
At the UMCG, where he has been working since 2023, his role mirrors this work, but with an added research dimension. Since last summer he has served as Head of the newly established Epidemiology & Data Science Unit at the UMCG. In this capacity, Berends supervises his own research group of four PhD candidates focused on AI applications in infectious diseases. “We use AI to detect infections earlier, accelerate laboratory diagnostics and evaluate antimicrobial therapy,” he says. “AI sometimes even helps us to prevent infectious diseases. This is not abstract research. It is part of everyday patient care.”
AI as a Response to Complexity
For Berends, artificial intelligence is not a technological trend, but a necessary response to the growing complexity of medical data. “Infectious diseases are very complex and we have so much data on them. It is simply too much to fully comprehend with the human brain alone,” he notes. “AI allows us to move beyond that limitation. We now can build predictive models that we can test, validate and apply responsibly.”
This philosophy underpins a growing multicenter research collaboration initiated through the exquAIro Biomedical AI Bootcamp. Together with Leiden-based surgeon Sven Mieog, who was a bootcamp participant in the same class, and multiple academic hospitals, Berends is developing predictive models to assess infection risks following biliary tract surgery. “This collaboration would never have happened without the bootcamp,” he says. “It connected people who would otherwise never have crossed paths.”
Learning AI to Lead Better
Berends participated in Class 2 of the exquAIro Biomedical AI Bootcamp with two clear goals: to deepen his own technical understanding of AI and to become a better supervisor for AI-focused PhD candidates.
“I wanted to learn how to build models myself, using Python, and at the same time be able to truly engage with my data scientist at eye level,” he explains. “That goal was fully achieved. My understanding of AI increased enormously, and it directly improved my supervision.”
From Individual Learning to Organizational Change
Recently, together with fellow bootcamp alumnus and geneticist Kai Yu Ma, Berends was invited to organize a large-scale AI symposium for UMCG’s diagnostic cluster, encompassing nearly 2,000 staff members. The event in January 2026 brings together all seven laboratory departments to showcase current AI initiatives, identify learning needs and explore future collaboration—culminating with participation from the Board of Directors.
“This would most probably not have happened without the bootcamp,” Berends reflects. “It expanded my network, both nationally and within UMCG, and made it clear who to involve when AI becomes a strategic topic.”
Leadership, Literacy and Institutional Support
A recurring theme in Berends’ reflections is the importance of institutional support. He contrasts the proactive stance of UMCG’s leadership with experiences shared by colleagues from other hospitals, where uncertainty around return on investment often delays AI adoption.
“AI requires upfront investment: of time, money and trust,” he says. “If clinicians are trained but their expertise is not subsequently used, that is a missed opportunity.”
For Berends, this places responsibility not only on individuals, but also on department heads and hospital leadership: to create space for learning, and to ensure that newly acquired expertise can take root.
Why the Bootcamp Matters
Asked what he would say to clinicians considering the exquAIro AI Bootcamp, Berends is unequivocal. “Do not hesitate. You will learn far more than just AI. You learn how to communicate, how healthcare systems work, and how to collaborate across disciplines.”
He emphasizes the immersive nature of the program as a critical success factor. “You are physically removed from your daily routine. For six weeks, your full focus is on learning and reflection, not on patient care or other routine tasks. That intensity is precisely what makes it effective.”
As healthcare systems grapple with increasing complexity, Berends sees AI not as a replacement for clinical expertise, but as its amplifier. “AI allows us to do things that were previously impossible,” he concludes. “And that makes it an indispensable tool for the future of medicine.”
Source article: exquAIro
Photo: Matthijs Berends presents his research at exquAIro symposium (2024). Photographer: Jan Buwalda