About – ElsaLab

We want fair and just access to care, guaranteed for all people!

How? Through research, collaboration, and engagement

Why?

We know that building technology based on artificial intelligence can reflect, and sometimes even worsen, existing inequalities and injustices. We want to identify existing problems and opportunities. Such as the problem that groups of people of color or the elderly are not included in building health AI.

This may mean that the technology, when used in healthcare, works less well for these groups of people. At the same time, people sometimes find it difficult to use computers and technology, while this is increasingly expected of patients and clients in healthcare. AI can help with this in some cases, but sometimes it can also make it more difficult for people to find their way to healthcare.

ELSA Lab AI for Health Equity wants to come up with solutions to these problems, so that healthcare becomes fairer through the use of AI.

What?

We research what the problems and opportunities are for using AI in healthcare in a way that we can ensure equitable access to care.
We want to be a diverse place where everyone who wants to help with our mission can collaborate together
We want to think of ways to ensure that people and groups can be engaged and involved in thinking about the use of AI in healthcare.

Who we are?

Julia van Weert

Professor of Health Communication

I am Julia van Weert, professor of Health Communication at the University of Amsterdam. I’m also the director of the Amsterdam Center for Health Communication/ACHC. My work focuses on how we can promote health by effective communication using digital methods. I am interested in how we can use technology to help people who might struggle with health information, like people with low (health) literacy, patients with a migration background or older patients. I’m also curious about how new technologies like artificial intelligence affect our health and wellbeing.

Anniek de Ruijter

Professor of Health Law and Policy

What I find so interesting about the use of new technology in healthcare, and certainly technology such as Artificial Intelligence is that – because it can be used so widely – it gives us the opportunity to think again about how we actually want to organize it, and whether it is actually fair as it is now. Health law can help with this, because it helps us guide the question of how we can continue to protect values that we still find so important in healthcare, such as trust, human dignity and equal treatment.

Sennay Ghebreab

Professor Socially Intelligent AI

I am a professor of Socially-Intelligent AI at the University of Amsterdam, program director of the Master’s in Computer Science, and founder and scientific director of the Civic-AI Lab. My passion lies in developing and using AI to make society more social and just. In addition to my academic work, I am involved in various committees and boards, including the State Commission against Discrimination and Racism, as well as the Supervisory Board of the Nemo Science Museum.

Somaya Ben Allouch

Professor of Human-System Interaction for Health & Wellbeing

My research endeavors focus on applied research, exploring the development, utilization, and assessment of digital technologies. These encompass robotics and eHealth applications, with a central goal of enhancing individuals’ quality of life. I’m fascinated by understanding how we can tailor digital innovations to align with people’s needs, desires, and expectations, thereby facilitating their integration into our daily routines.

Mahsa Shabani

Associate Professor in Health Privacy Law and Innovation

My aim is to assist policy makers and regulators to have a clear view on the relevant concerns associated with use of new technologies such as digitalization and AI in healthcare and health research. As my background is both in law and bioethics, I enjoy brininging these two fields together in my research and broaden the scope of my analysis.

Maurits van Tulder

Professor of Effciency Research

As a professor specializing in Efficiency Research, my primary objective is to enhance cost-effectiveness within the healthcare sector. A key concern is ensuring optimal allocation of resources to maximize their impact. Equally crucial is the principle of fairness in resource distribution.
In my role as Dean of the Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, I am deeply engaged in shaping policy and strategy. One of our key objectives is to leverage AI to advance behavioral and exercise care, making it not only more effective and efficient but also more accessible and equitable. Through targeted research and education initiatives, we aim to harness the potential of AI to drive positive change in these critical areas.

Jesse Aarden

Senior Teacher and Researcher Smart Health and Vitality Lab

In our laboratory, I collaborate closely with students, educators, and researchers to drive the digital transformation of healthcare through targeted practical research. My collective efforts are directed towards developing sustainable healthcare innovations tailored to address the challenges posed by an aging population.
By harnessing the power of healthcare technology and Artificial Intelligence in a responsible manner, together with others I aim to instill confidence among citizens in technological healthcare solutions. My focus lies in creating scalable innovations that prioritize human care where it is most needed. Through this approach, I strive to make meaningful contributions to improving healthcare delivery and outcomes.