Connecting Cancer Digital Assets Across Europe
IRSJD October Scientific Seminar: "Connecting Cancer Digital Assets Across Europe". Jayden Khakurel, PhD Head of Data and AI Strategy at the University of Tartu. Host: Dr. Dr. Joan Sánchez de Toledo.
Abstract
Clinical cancer research increasingly depends on access to high-quality data distributed across hospitals, research organisations, and national infrastructures. However, identifying relevant datasets, understanding their characteristics and navigating access pathways remain important challenges for researchers. This presentation will introduce the UNCAN.eu central platform and its role in supporting clinical cancer research across the UNCAN.eu network. The platform is being developed to help researchers discover cancer data resources, understand available
datasets and digital assets, identify relevant expertise, and navigate appropriate data access pathways in alignment with the EHDS.
The presentation will illustrate this through a paediatric cardio-oncology research use case involving data from SJD and other European clinical centres. The example will show how a clinical research question can relate to distributed datasets across institutions, and how metadata, interoperability and coordination through National Cancer Data Nodes can support the discovery and reuse of cancer data for multicentre research.
Short biography
Dr. Jayden Khakurel is Head of Data and AI Strategy at the University of Tartu, ESTCAN and works in the areas of digital health, AI and health data infrastructures. His background combines academic research with several years of experience in European research and innovation, as well as industry consulting. He has extensive experience in developing digital health solutions, including conversational AI for mental health and digital self-management tools for people with type 2 diabetes. His work has involved translating clinical and user needs into practical digital tools and working across research, technology, and healthcare settings. He is also the Technical Lead for the UNCAN.eu central platform, where his work focuses on how distributed cancer data, digital resources and national infrastructures can be connected and made easier to discover and use for research. This includes work on design of the platform, metadata, interoperability, data access pathways, and alignment with the EHDS. His broader work includes trustworthy AI, federated data infrastructures, and Virtual Human Twins, with a particular interest in supporting clinical and translational research through better use of data.
