Projects


With our Helmholtz Imaging Projects, Helmholtz Foundation Model Initiative (HFMI) and third-party funded projects, we aim to initiate cross-cutting research collaborations and identify innovative research topics in the field of imaging and data science.

Helmholtz Imaging offers a funding line of Helmholtz Imaging Projects, striving to seed collaborations between centers and across research fields. They are a strong incentive to enable interdisciplinary collaboration across the Helmholtz Association and an incubator and accelerator of the Helmholtz Imaging network. 

In addition to our Helmholtz Imaging Projects, the Helmholtz Imaging team has secured external funding for third-party projects contributing their knowledge and expertise on cutting-edge imaging methodology. 

Join us in unlocking the limitless potential of Helmholtz Imaging!

Find out more about Helmholtz Imaging Project call in this summary.

Helmholtz Imaging Projects


This image shows simulation results comparing MWF mapping with single inversions of "T2-decay" data, "T2*-decay" data, and with joint inversion of both. The joint inversion is significantly closer to ground truth, as the second row shows.
 

JIMM2

3D Myelin Mapping with AI and Uncertainty Quantification

Changes in brain myelin are linked to many neurological diseases. This project aims to improve myelin water imaging, enabling more accurate and accessible diagnostics.
Visual to illustrate HI Project BrainShapes
 

BrainShapes

Laplace-Beltrami shape descriptors of brain structures: Comparative optimization and genetic dissection

The project explores the 3D structure of the human brain by creating a digital 'map' of the brain and examining its unique genetic properties, potentially linking genetic variations to brain disorders.
Image of HI Project "CLARITY"
 

CLARITY

CineMR-guided ML-driven Breathing Models for Adaptive Radiotherapy

Dose-escalated radiotherapy of lung cancers requires precise monitoring of lesions and nearby organs at risk. Current methods are able to track ultra-central lesions but neglect their deforming vicinity, risking unacceptable toxicity to aortico-pulmonary structures. AI-based anomaly detection and generative AI models can address both requirements in real-time.

Helmholtz Foundation Model Initiative (HFMI) Projects


Microcosmos of the Ocean by Klas Ove Möller, Hereon
Image: NicoElNino on Shutterstock

AqQua

AqQua aims to build the first foundational pelagic imaging model using billions of aquatic images worldwide. These images, spanning species from plankton, will help an AI classify species, extract traits, and estimate carbon content, offering key insights into biodiversity, ecosystem health, and the biological carbon pump's role in climate regulation.
Image: NicoElNino on Shutterstock

The Human Radiome Project (THRP)

The Human Radiome Project (THRP) aims to drive a paradigm shift in medical research, providing novel insights into human health and disease through the power of AI. By integrating diverse radiological data, it seeks to enable groundbreaking advancements in personalized medicine, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and improving patient care.
decorative image
Image: NicoElNino on Shutterstock

Synergy Unit

The Synergy Unit amplifies the Helmholtz Foundation Model Initiative's impact by developing AI principles for diverse fields. Collaborating with HFMI projects, it focuses on knowledge sharing, community building, and representation to ensure the initiative's lasting influence.

UNLOCK – Benchmarking Projects


Visual for UQOB; Creating a benchmark dataset for object-detection and Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) in a multi-rater setting, to address annotation variability and AI model evaluation.
 

UQOB – Uncertainty Quantification in Object-detection Benchmark

Creating a benchmark dataset for object-detection and Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) in a multi-rater setting, to address annotation variability and AI model evaluation.
Visual for Pero; Addressing the lack of standardized, FAIR benchmark datasets in perovskite photovoltaics. Pero enables reproducible AI models for efficiency prediction, material classification, and defect detection, which are critical for industrial scaling of sustainable energy technologies.
Image: Photo: Markus Breig, KIT; illustration: Felix Laufer, KIT

Pero – Unlocking ML Potential: Benchmark Datasets on Perovskite Thin Film Processing

Addressing the lack of standardized, FAIR benchmark datasets in perovskite photovoltaics. Pero enables reproducible AI models for efficiency prediction, material classification, and defect detection, which are critical for industrial scaling of sustainable energy technologies.
RenewBench Logo
 

RenewBench – A Global Benchmark for Renewable Energy Generation

Renewable energy’s variability makes grid management complex. RenewBench aims to provide standardized, high-quality data to advance trustworthy AI models and accelerate the transition to sustainable energy.

Third-Party Projects


Decorative image
 

Bayesian Computations for Large-scale (Nonlinear) Inverse Problems in Imaging

During research stays with the collaborating group at Caltech, we aim to investigate various aspects of statistical inverse problems. This includes inquiries into particle- and PDE-based sampling methods, as well as robust regularization using neural networks.
BSIC 2023 contribution by Sebastian Dupraz (AG Bradke), DZNE; title: Stranger in the mirror
Image: Sebastian Dupraz (AG Bradke), DZNE

Spatio-temporal inverse approaches for EEG/MEG reconstruction of neural networks in the human brain

This project aims to develop novel methods for reconstructing brain activity from dynamic EEG and MEG measurements. By using realistic, individualized finite element models and advanced regularization techniques, including machine learning, we seek to solve this inverse problem in real patient settings, ultimately improving the diagnosis and treatment of medication-resistant focal epilepsy.
decorative visual; blue-futuristic-stream-data-communication-flying
 

FONDA: Dependability, Adaptability and Uncertainty Quantification for Data Analysis Workflows in Large-Scale Biomedical Image Analysis

The project aims to enhance infrastructures for machine learning (ML)-intensive DAWs in advanced biomedical imaging applications.