Assistant Professor of Radiology,
Scientific Head of the Artificial Intelligence and Translational Imaging Laboratory,
School of Medicine, University of Crete
University of Crete
Michalis Klontzas
- 1 What is your research about?
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My research focuses on applying artificial intelligence to medical imaging, with the aim of making better use of the information contained in examinations such as CT and MRI. We develop and evaluate tools that can support doctors in diagnosis, predicting how a disease may progress, and selecting the most appropriate treatment for each patient.
- 2 Why is it important?
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Medical imaging generates enormous amounts of data, and these images often contain much more information than the human eye can appreciate alone. Artificial intelligence can help us extract this information so that diseases can be detected earlier and more accurately and medical care can become more personalized. An equally important part of our research is understanding how these technologies can be introduced into clinical practice safely, reliably and responsibly.
- 3 What inspired you to pursue this path?
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From the early years of my medical studies, I was fascinated by the intersection of medicine, technology and research. Radiology sits exactly at that intersection: it allows us to “see” inside the human body while continuously evolving through new technologies. Artificial intelligence therefore felt like a natural next step, because it gives us the opportunity to transform the enormous amount of medical data we generate into knowledge that can genuinely benefit patients.
- 4 What do you like most about research?
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What I enjoy most is starting with a question for which nobody yet knows the answer. It is exciting to turn an idea into a study, collaborate with people from different scientific backgrounds, and eventually create new knowledge that may have a real impact on medicine and patient care.
- 5 What advice would you give to a child who loves science?
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Never stop asking “why?” and “how?”. Curiosity is perhaps the most important quality a scientist can have. You do not need to know from a young age exactly what you want to become; keep learning, experimenting, do not be discouraged by failure, and follow the questions that genuinely excite you.
- 6 Fun fact: Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
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I have completed two PhDs in quite different but ultimately complementary fields: one in tissue engineering and metabolomics and another in artificial intelligence and medical imaging. I particularly enjoy bringing ideas from different scientific disciplines together since some of the most interesting discoveries happen exactly where different fields meet.
