Ten years ago, we embarked on an ambitious journey to revolutionize healthcare through the power of virtual twin experiences. What began as a focused effort to model the human heart has blossomed into a global movement uniting over 1,000 experts across disciplines and continents.
Today, I am excited to announce the 10th annual Virtual Human Twin Experience Symposium, with this year’s theme “A Decade of Transformation, Generations of Impact.” A hybrid event, our symposium will take place from October 30-31 as part of Dassault Systemes’ 2024 Science Week events.
Register now to attend the Virtual Human Twin Experience Symposium online or in-person.
This landmark event is more than a milestone; it’s a celebration of a decade filled with innovation, collaboration, and significant strides toward a future where virtual human twins enhance every facet of healthcare. It will be an unprecedented convergence of multi-disciplinary minds dedicated to shaping the future of healthcare. It will be the largest gathering of its type on the planet, with 40 speakers, over 8 hours of networking, and interactive experiences in our technology playground. The symposium promises to be a dynamic forum for innovation and collaboration.
After a decade of effort, it is now clear that our unique approach, combined with your individual and collective works, have not only advanced the field of cardiac medicine but more importantly have laid the groundwork to consolidate humanity’s understanding of the entire human body. If you can only attend one conference this year, I suggest this is the one. It will no doubt change your work … and just might change your life.
Each year, we strive to craft an impactful agenda driven by the key themes that are most relevant. This year is no exception, so let me share my perspective.
Day 1
Updating a Decade of Innovation
The pre-symposium will begin with the Living Heart Colloquium, featuring pioneering work emerging from the Living Heart Model R&D team. We’ll revisit the roots of the Living Heart Project and showcase our latest advancements, including the next-generation four-chamber heart model. This 2.5-hour session will be a rich testament to how far we’ve come and sets the stage for the groundbreaking discussions to follow.
Seating is limited and will be first-come-first served, so arrive early. But don’t worry, the recording will be available for future reference.
Following lunch, the Symposium formally kicks off with my opening remarks, in my capacity as the Master of Ceremonies throughout the event. If I do my job you will learn everything you need to navigate the two days.
Inspiring Keynotes and Visionary Insights
In the first session, we will be honored by thought leaders who have been instrumental in shaping the landscape of virtual healthcare. Key discussions will focus on:
- The transformative impact of virtual twins across all aspects of healthcare.
- Why virtual human twins are essential for advancing medical research and patient care.
- Visionary insights on using the virtual world to create real human experiences for a more sustainable world with quality and accessible healthcare for all.
From Virtual Vision to Real
The kickoff visionary session will conclude with a talk that truly captures the spirit of the Living Heart Project: one focused on actual vision. The Living Eye Project team will provide an update on their progress in creating a virtual eye model capable of solving common causes of blindness or simply vision loss, demonstrating the expansion of virtual twin technology into ophthalmology and its potential to revolutionize eye care.
Our first networking break will provide the opportunity to explore the playground or one-on-one conversations with the speakers and other attendees.
Showcasing Success and Charting the Future
When we come back, in keeping with my philosophy that, “To know where you are going, you must know where you have been,” a unique highlight of this year’s symposium will be our panel discussion, “Journey of the Living Heart Project: Lessons Learned and Future Perspectives,” featuring speakers who have helped to shape the project from the start. This session will mark the 10-year journey, sharing insights and setting the course for the next decade.
After that time of reflection, we’ll get technical and delve into applications showcasing progress of virtual human twins across various organ systems. Through compelling case studies, we’ll demonstrate how virtual modeling is teaming with AI to improve the robustness and speed of virtual twin models, advance clinical research and expanding into new medical frontiers:
- AI Methods for Standardizing Virtual Human Modeling
- Virtual Twins in Clinical Research & Medical Training
- The COVID-19-inspired Living Lung Project
These presentations will mark the progress and remaining challenges of the technology, guiding our mission to model the full human body.
Reflections on a Decade of Innovation
The agenda concludes with my personal reflections on our 10-year journey and the milestones we achieved that have brought us to this pivotal point. In particular, I will bring the patient voice that has only been implicit in the past, into the foreground.
The day will end with a cocktail reception and the traditional exchange of ideas amongst the 300+ people who have kept them bottled up during the day.
Day 2
Global Collaboration for Generations of Impact
Day 2 will be our look to the future. As we do, international collaboration becomes ever more critical. We will kick off the day with a Vision for a Global Community of the Virtual Twin for Humans, emphasizing the commitment to coordinate a collective effort in advancing this technology.
Next will be the invited keynote, one you will not want to miss. This session will provide glimpse into the future of precision medicine. It will open your eyes to the impact virtual twins are already having on the most challenging cases in pediatric cardiology, including an emotional, firsthand account of the patient’s perspective. Already, the team is supporting multiple hospitals around the world. This is the future and, as you will see, it looks very bright.
Following the networking break in the technology playground, the next session will feature efforts emerging from the EU that will transform virtual twin technology from science to practice, highlighting collaborative projects and initiatives that illustrate global efforts in developing a comprehensive virtual human twin:
- EDITH – European Virtual Human Twin Project, illustrating Europe’s collaborative efforts in developing a comprehensive virtual human twin.
- A representative from the European Commission will share the EU’s broad vision for virtual human twins.
- MediTwin Project ambitions will be illustrated by three sub-project leaders, showcasing specific projects and their contributions to the overarching goal of modeling the human body.
We’ll then enjoy a taste of Paris cuisine on a long lunch break providing plenty of time for discussions, side meetings and project planning. Many of tomorrow’s breakthroughs will no doubt find their start on the napkins sketches that emerge.
Bridging Innovation and Implementation
Now we get down to business. A hallmark of this community has been a central focus on regulatory acceptance of the technology from the start. We recognized that understanding the regulatory and ethical landscape is essential for realizing the potential of this technology for translating innovation to clinical practice. Notably, several recent landmark publications from the FDA have signaled a change is on the horizon.
As compared to previous years, the impact of generative AI will be a common thread throughout the discussion. Two panels will address these considerations, one from the researchers perspective and the other from the regulators perspective, featuring voices from the FDA, clinical practice, leading universities, and industry experts:
- Clinical Applications: Regulatory & Ethical Considerations
- Regulatory Applications: ENRICHMENT In Silico Clinical Trial Playbook
On the heels of the publication of the in silico clinical trial regulatory foundation from the FDA, this session promises to deliver actionable content that will guide industry and clinical R&D. We can all agree that defining pathways to lower the barriers to delivering innovations to the patients that need them will be welcome.
Educating the Next Generation
The future of healthcare will be determined by the next generation of scientists, engineers and healthcare professionals. To change current practice in industry we must first change current practice in education. Our next session, Educational Applications: Driving Interdisciplinary Collaborations takes this head-on and will feature detailed discussions aimed at inspiring and equipping future leaders with the tools and knowledge to continue this vital work.
Toward a Comprehensive Model of the Human Body
We’ll conclude the symposium with a session bookending the day with a talk that will help guide our aspiration of creating a fully integrated virtual human twin:
- Future Vision: Towards a Comprehensive Model of the Human Body
This presentation will outline the steps needed to achieve a comprehensive model, setting the stage for generations of future impact.
I will close the afternoon session by reflecting on the project’s impact over the past decade, and more importantly, I will set the stage for Day 2 by summarizing the insights shared by the project community regarding our ambitions as we advance toward realizing the virtual human twin in the coming decade.
Join Us in Shaping the Future
This symposium is not just another event—it’s our call to action. An invitation to take part in a network that has created the fabric behind hundreds of activities that are redefining what’s possible in healthcare, As we celebrate a decade of transformation, we are also laying the foundation for generations of future impact.
I invite each of you—researchers, clinicians, educators, industry leaders, and policymakers—to join us at this landmark symposium. Together, we will push the boundaries of science and technology, turning visionary ideas into life-changing realities.
Let’s make the next decade even more transformative than the last.