IMPACT-OC investigates how artificial intelligence can integrate medical data and support diagnosis and treatment decisions in ovarian cancer.
AI for a more comprehensive basis for clinical decisions
Danube Private University (DPU) is coordinating "IMPACT-OC", an international research project on artificial intelligence and ovarian cancer. Funded by the European Union with almost four million euros, the project started on October 1, 2026, and will run until September 2030.
The project investigates how different types of medical information – including imaging data, tissue samples, genetic information and clinical findings – can be analysed together using AI. The researchers are developing specialised AI agents whose results will be combined by an overarching system and compared with medical guidelines. The project also addresses the explainability and reliability of the systems.
“With AI-based agents, we aim to make diagnosis and treatment more targeted and effective. The active involvement of patient representatives is a key factor for success.” - Univ.-Prof. Priv.-Doz. Dr. Ramona Woitek, PhD, Project Coordinator and Head of the MIAAI Research Group
IMPACT-OC focuses on three application areas: supporting treatment decisions in advanced ovarian cancer, identifying potential hereditary cancer risks based on routine ultrasound examinations, and improving the assessment of abnormalities in the ovarian region. Another component is a “digital twin” that brings together relevant information about a patient and their disease history in a digital model.
The DPU research group Medical Image Analysis & Artificial Intelligence (MIAAI), based at the Technology and Research Centre in Wiener Neustadt, contributes expertise in medical image analysis, radiomics and deep learning. The IMPACT-OC consortium brings together ten organisations from Austria, Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom.
The methods developed within the project are currently at the research stage. In pilot studies, they will initially be tested using de-identified data in “shadow mode”, without influencing patient care. Patient organisations are also involved in the project.
IMPACT-OC – Grant Agreement No. 101306266
Funded by the European Union.
The views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
