Masterclass in AI and Digital Health
Our Masterclass in AI and Digital Health is designed to equip researchers with the tools to turn AI innovations into real-world healthcare solutions. Across six modules, the Canvas course introduces the full innovation pathway:
- The opportunity in healthcare innovation
- Key steps in the journey
- Understanding demand and achieving product-market fit
- Access to data and choosing the right ML methods
- Navigating regulation
- Commercialisation, funding, and scaling globally
To complement the online materials, we hosted a 6-week discussion series, exploring each module in turn. These 30-minute sessions were led by the Royal Society’s Entrepreneur in Residence Dr Oliver Harrison, and joined by leading academic and industry experts.
The sessions provide concise, practical insights into the AI innovation journey - from understanding healthcare challenges and responding to market demand, to accessing NHS data, navigating regulation, and achieving commercialisation.
By engaging with both the Canvas modules and these interactive discussions, researchers can gain knowledge and strategies to translate their research into real-world impact.
The Opportunity in Healthcare Innovation
In the first module, Dr Oliver Harrison, Founder and CEO of Koa Health, shares his experience on the opportunity surrounding healthcare innovation.
The Innovation Journey
In this second module, Dr Oliver Harrison is joined by Professor Gary Ford (Professor of Stroke Medicine and Chief Executive Officer, Health Innovation Oxford and Thames Valley). Together, they explore the innovation journey and the support available within the Oxford University ecosystem, highlight how Health Innovation Oxford & Thames Valley can help researchers, and share the real-world success story of Brainomix - a revolutionary AI-powered medical imaging platform.
A pre-requisite for success - responding to market demand
In the third module, Dr Oliver Harrison is joined by Professor Gail Hayward (Professor of Primary Care and Director of the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Community Healthcare) and Ed Jaspers (Innovation Project Facilitator, theHill). Together, the panel explore how innovators can effectively identify and respond to healthcare needs - both within the NHS and globally. The discussion also highlights opportunities for partnering with Oxford University Hospitals (OUH), and how researchers can align their projects with the strategic priorities and innovation pathways of these key NHS partners.
Access to Data and Machine Learning Methods
In the fourth module, Dr Oliver Harrison is joined by Prof David Clifton (Royal Academy of Engineering Chair of Clinical Machine Learning in the Department of Engineering Science, and NIHR Research Professor) and Prof Ben Goldacre (Director of Bennett Institute for Applied Data Science). Together, the panel discuss how to pragmatically choose the right tool for the right tasks in machine learning, the challenge of reproducibility, and the resource of OpenSAFELY, a fully open source and highly secure analytics platform for NHS data created during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Approach to Regulation
In the fifth module, Dr Oliver Harrison is joined by Michael Pogose (Director - Quality Assurance & Regulatory Affairs, Hardian Health). Together, the panel discuss the complex regulatory landscape for AI and digital health innovations. The discussion explores who’s who among key regulators across the UK and international markets (including the US, EU, and Asia), how to develop a clear regulatory strategy, and the pros and cons of pursuing formal regulation. The session also covers practical insights on working effectively with regulators and defining an intended use statement to guide product development and approval.
Commercialisation and scale up
In the final module, Dr Oliver Harrison is joined by Dr Emily Morris (Licensing and Ventures Manager, Oxford University Innovations [OUI]) and Joel Schoppig (Principal, HealthTech, Oxford Science Enterprises [OSE]). Together, the panel explores how AI and digital health innovations can move from research to real-world impact. The discussion includes introductions to OUI and OSE and how they support Oxford’s innovation ecosystem, followed by insights into current trends in healthcare AI and practical advice for researchers. The panel also examines how to select the right route to market - whether through licensing, spin-out creation, or partnership - and discusses the key stages and challenges of commercialisation and scale-up, including strategies to overcome common barriers to growth and adoption.