Medical Imaging Meets the Sun at this Year's MICCAI 2024 Conference in Marrakech

10/18/2024

This October, our xAILab Bamberg had the pleasure of attending the prestigious MICCAI 2024 (Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention) conference in the vibrant city of Marrakesh, Morocco. For the first time in its 27-year history, MICCAI took place on the African continent, offering a unique blend of cutting-edge research and cultural immersion under the Moroccan sun.

Spotlight on Our Contributions

Our lab made its mark at MICCAI 2024 by presenting two exciting papers and delivering an insightful keynote address.

The first paper, presented by Sebastian Doerrich, titled "Self-Supervised Vision Transformers are Scalable Generative Models for Domain Generalization," was showcased at the main conference through a poster. The work drew significant attention and led to many stimulating conversations, especially around the challenges and breakthroughs in Domain Generalization, an essential area for making AI systems more adaptable and robust across various medical datasets.

Next up was Francesco Di Salvo, who presented the second paper, "MedMNIST-C: Comprehensive Benchmark and Improved Classifier Robustness by Simulating Realistic Image Corruptions," during the ADSMI Workshop (Advancing Data Solutions in Medical Imaging AI). Francesco’s work earned him a Best Paper Award Runner-Up distinction, a notable achievement that brought additional recognition to his innovative approach to tackling real-world image corruptions in medical imaging. He shared these insights through both a poster and an oral presentation, generating valuable feedback and interest from the audience.

See more details here.

An Inspiring Keynote by Prof. Dr. Christian Ledig

Adding to the list of highlights, Prof. Dr. Christian Ledig delivered a thought-provoking keynote titled "From Images to Embeddings: Is End-to-End Learning Coming to an End?" His talk explored the potential of moving away from raw images in favor of embeddings generated by foundation models, which could revolutionize the field by enhancing model robustness and sample efficiency. This keynote sparked engaging discussions on the future direction of medical image analysis.

See more details here.

MICCAI 2024: A Unique Blend of Science and Culture

MICCAI 2024 was not just a feast for the mind but also a cultural experience like no other. Set against the backdrop of Marrakesh’s timeless architecture, bustling souks, and stunning landscapes, attendees had the chance to enjoy Morocco’s rich history and warm hospitality. Whether exploring the ancient city or taking in the sights of the Atlas Mountains and Sahara Desert, participants found plenty of inspiration outside of the conference halls.

This year’s conference also placed a strong emphasis on inclusivity, featuring the first-ever keynote by an Africa-based researcher and encouraging participation from underrepresented regions. The diverse lineup of topics, which included inclusive machine learning, low-cost imaging solutions, and image-guided surgery in resource-limited settings, reflected MICCAI’s commitment to expanding its horizons.

Wrapping Up a Memorable Experience

Overall, MICCAI 2024 was an unforgettable experience for xAILab Bamberg. Our team’s contributions, from Sebastian’s poster to Francesco’s award-winning work and Professor Ledig's impactful keynote, made a lasting impression. Beyond the science, it was an invaluable opportunity to engage with a global community of researchers and immerse ourselves in the unique atmosphere of Marrakesh.

We’re already looking forward to next year’s conference and continuing our journey of innovation in medical image analysis!