Interview series: Meet Hrvoje Bogunović

Meet Hrvoje Bogunović, an Assistant Professor for Medical Image Computing at the Medical University of Vienna and WP2 Lead in the I-SCREEN project, where he develops AI models to predict the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) from retinal imaging data. His work aims to improve early detection and enable community-based screening, reducing the burden on hospitals and enhancing patient care.

• Name: Hrvoje Bogunović
• Institution: Medical University of Vienna
• Position: Assistant Professor for Medical Image Computing
• Field of research: AI for Medical Imaging

What is your role in the I-SCREEN team at your institution?

I am Work Package 2 Lead.

What are you currently working on within the scope of I-SCREEN and what are your main goals and objectives in the project?

I am working on disease progression modeling and developing AI models that can predict from retinal imaging data the future progression and estimate the risk of developing a more advanced stage of AMD.

What are some of the most interesting findings or insights that you have gained or are expecting to gain from your research in I-SCREEN?

Obtaining AI system that is able to predict future disease development means that we could then interrogate the AI system to understand what predictive factors are relevant for AMD progression. This would provide precious new knowledge about AMD to the clinical and scientific community.

How do you see the future impact of I-SCREEN on the healthcare system?

There is a trend worldwide and in Europe towards community nursing. This project fits perfectly within this aspect as it will allow the first line of screening to be done in the community-based setting (optometrists) instead of overloading the main city hospitals.

What makes working on the I-SCREEN project special for you personally?

A multidisciplinary environment involving a blend of clinicians, optometrists and computer scientists is very enriching and allows us to advance the science much further than each specialty could do on its own.

Why do you think the I-SCREEN research is important/will make a difference?

It will open the path towards community-based care for one of the most frequent eye diseases in Europe. This has the potential to impact a huge amount of elderly people who are currently at risk of losing vision to AMD.

• Right now, I’m reading …OUTLIVE, the science and art of longevity by Peter Attia.
• One of my favourite things to do when not doing research is …swimming (especially in the Adriatic Sea).
• If I could have any superpower, it would be … teleportation – I am not a big fan of any means of transportation (except bike riding).
• One thing I cannot live without is … hope.
• I would love to meet … Neil deGrasse Tyson.
• I would love to have lunch with … Nikola Tesla, if he was still alive.
• My perfect day would start with a cup of coffee and end with a glass of wine.
• One thing on my bucket list is … visit Japan.