Wiro Niessen, member of the Executive Board of the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) and Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of Groningen, has spent decades at the intersection of technology and medicine. With a background in physics and over thirty years of experience in academic medical centers, he sees AI not as a trend, but as a fundamental development that strikes at the very core of medicine.
“Coming from physics, my career towards medicine began with one question: can we teach computers to see?” Niessen explains. From research on the human visual system, he moved into radiology, focusing on making medical image interpretation more objective and quantitative. “That field has gradually evolved into machine learning and AI, particularly after the breakthroughs around 2012.”
The rapid development of AI led to increasingly large-scale analyses of data, not only imaging data, but also genetic information, and other patient data. The goal: more accurate diagnoses and better treatment decisions. “Medicine is, at its heart, a data-driven discipline,” Niessen asserts. “We constantly measure, characterize, and compare. AI, especially neural networks, fits conceptually perfectly into that process.”
Three years ago, Niessen transitioned from researcher and entrepreneur to executive leadership — a deliberate choice. “Technology, data, and AI are so decisive for the future of health and care that this expertise needs to be also present at the boardroom table. Only then can you steer toward real impact.”
AI as a new form of statistics
For Niessen, AI is not a standalone tool, but a new way to understand complexity. “The relationship between patient characteristics and clinical outcomes is often far too complex for traditional statistical models. Neural networks are uniquely suited to capture that complexity, which makes AI such a powerful tool for medicine.”
He emphasizes that implementation and scaling of AI is a challenge. Data are fragmented, expertise is limited, and care processes are complex. “This is not something you can just tack on. Yet, given the pressure on healthcare and staffing shortages, it’s necessary to take this step.”
Investing in understanding
In this context, Niessen sees a clear role for exquAIro. His first encounter came shortly after his arrival in Groningen, at a Biomedical AI bootcamp of exquAIro, where he delivered the opening address. “What struck me immediately was the focus on understanding, not just learning what AI can do, but also what it cannot, and what is required to use it effectively in practice.”
According to Niessen, impact begins with those who are directly responsible for health and care. “If we want AI to truly contribute, clinicians and researchers must understand how it works. They see the problems and carry the responsibility. exquAIro focuses precisely on that group.”
This approach aligns with UMCG’s broader educational philosophy, where programs like the MD/PhD track have long combined clinical practice with research. “AI is not an end in itself, but a means. exquAIro helps professionals use it skilfully and critically.”
Three movements toward the future
Looking five years ahead, Niessen identifies three key AI trajectories within UMCG. The first is diagnostics and clinical decision support, including prevention and public health. “In the north, we have a unique ecosystem: Lifelines, large clinical cohorts, biobanks, and now the AI Factory. This allows us to develop and validate AI on a large scale.”
The second trajectory focuses on care processes. “AI can help structure and summarize information so that healthcare professionals can make faster and better-informed decisions.”
The third, more preclinical, may be the most exciting: AI-driven innovation. “With AI, we can design new proteins, materials, and therapies that don’t yet exist. This will have enormous impact on drug development.”
A return on investment
For healthcare professionals and executives considering an exquAIro bootcamp, Niessen is clear: “This investment always pays off. Not because you receive a manual as there isn’t one, but because you learn to think from the perspective of the underlying technology.”
AI competency, he insists, is not a luxury, but a necessity. “In ten years, there will be few roles where you can work effectively without using AI properly. You don’t need to know everything, but you must understand where it works, where it doesn’t, and why.”
“We tend to undervalue what we do not understand,” Niessen concludes. “exquAIro makes AI familiar in a way that fits the responsibility of our sector.”
Text: exquAIro
Picture: Wiro Niessen, copyright UMCG.