Collaboration is key to keeping Queen Mary at the forefront of AI research

Queen Mary is pushing the boundaries of discovery with AI

At the heart of this mission is Queen Mary’s Digital Environment Research Institute (DERI). Established to drive research across inter-disciplinary boundaries, DERI unites expertise which spans the University and amplifies the reach and impact of our AI initiatives. DERI’s core team is led by professors with expertise that extends from Data Science for the Environment and Sustainability, to Responsible AI, to AI for Biomedicine and Healthcare. Alongside them are more than 160 DERI Fellows from across Queen Mary, forming a thriving ecosystem for AI research.

But collaboration goes far beyond Queen Mary’s walls. DERI is forging external partnerships with companies, governments and other academic institutions to harness the opportunities AI brings, and to face and overcome the risks and challenges it poses.

For example, DERI’s commitment to collaboration shines through in our AI in Drug Discovery programme, now entering its fourth year. Backed by funding from UKRI-BBSRC, we’re not only advancing research at the cutting edge of AI and life sciences but also training the next generation of researchers through 27 PhD studentships, delivered in partnership with companies including Recursion, Nxera, and MSD.

Another example is our latest  workwith NVIDIA, whose AI expertise has helped us advance our world-leading ultrasound foundation model, trained entirely on publicly available data. This achievement sets a new benchmark for ultrasound image analysis, with the potential to accelerate progress toward personalised healthcare for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. We were delighted to get access to Isambard-AI, the UK’s powerful new national AI supercomputer to train our ultrasound AI model, which we plan to launch this autumn — so stay tuned for more updates.

Collaboration has also taken us in other exciting directions. Earlier this year, QM co-hosted the world’s first Children’s AI Summit, where over 100 young people aged 8 to 18 explored how AI could shape their future. Together, they drafted the world’s first Children’s Manifesto for the Future of AI, later presented at the Paris AI Summit.

Here at Queen Mary, colleagues are also teaming up with Queen Mary Innovation to launch spinouts, and with NHS partners to explore how AI can cut waiting times, improve patient care, and open new doors for clinicians and researchers. Meanwhile, through our CREAATIF project, we’ve worked with UK arts and culture unions to examine the impact of Generative AI on the rights and working conditions of creative workers.

And we’re not stopping there. Through the university’s new Centre for Excellence in AI in Education, we are equipping students and educators with the skills they’ll need to thrive in an AI-driven future. By blending world-class research with innovative teaching, and working closely with employers, the Centre is building a transformative learning environment where AI literacy becomes second nature.

One thing is clear: collaboration is the engine that drives innovation in AI. At Queen Mary, the breakthroughs we’re making through our alliance with NVIDIA are just the beginning. Together, we are harnessing the power of AI.  Not only to advance research, but to make a real difference in people’s lives.