Digitalization of Medicine in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Dr. Karine Sargsyan is the Scientific Director of OncoBiobank at the Cancer Center of Cedars Siani Medical Center, CA, USA, and the Managing Director for International Biobanking and Education, Vice Scientific Leader and Lecturer of M.Sc. Biobanking at the Medical University of Graz, Austria. She is skilled in interdisciplinary research, research policy, international research, research organization-management-policy, grant management, clinical research, quality and risk management (particularly in grant-driven environments), and digitalization (including AI and ML) in life sciences, particularly in medicine. She provides scientific expertise and experience as a consultant to several sites and is focused on the future of research and innovation, specifically in innovative technology. 

Her co-editorship of the open-access book Future Intelligence: The World in 2050 showcases Dr. Sargsyan's expertise in critical areas such as future leadership, global challenges, sustainable lifestyles, disruptive entrepreneurship, and ground-breaking innovations. It adds depth and foresight to the exploration of leadership in the ever-evolving landscape. 

Dr. Karine Sargsyan's extensive peer recognition is evidenced by her role as the elected President of ESBB in 2022-2023, further emphasized through her keynote speeches (over 100) at prominent events. In 2022 and 2023, she addressed the world's future at World Economic Forums DigitalDavos. She emphasized insights into the future of geopolitics, healthcare, education, families, and homes. Additionally, her expertise in navigating the challenges of misinformation in the Digital Age was showcased at another session during Digital.Davos.2022. She is 3 times TEDx speaker with over 150k views. These speaking engagements underscore her authority in envisioning and discussing future scenarios, contributing valuable perspectives to the ongoing dialogue on global challenges and leadership in the coming years. She is an experienced Managing Director for the scientific environment with an Honorary Doctor and Visiting Professor recognition from her alma mater.

Dr. Zisis Kozlakidis is the Head of Laboratory Services and Biobanking at the International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization (IARC/WHO). He is responsible for one of the largest and most varied international collections of clinical samples in the world, focusing on gene-environment interactions and disease-based collections. He serves currently as board member of the pan-EU biomolecular infrastructure BBMRI-ERIC; as scientific advisor to the national Health-Research Infrastructure in the Netherlands and the PTEN Research Foundation; and as EOSC co-chair on digitally 'Upskilling countries'. Dr. Kozlakidis has significant expertise in the field of biobanking and has served as President of ISBER, and as board member.

Dr. Kozlakidis is a virologist, with a PhD in microbiology from Imperial College London. He is an elected Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, the Royal Academy of Sciences, UK, and a Turnberg Fellow of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences. Dr Kozlakidis has contributed to seminal studies in the adoption of innovations into routine healthcare in the UK, and their associated financial impacts. He holds visiting faculty positions in China (Medical School, South Central University), Belgium (Public Health School, Université Libre de Bruxelles) and the UK (St. George's Medical School, University of London and Bayes Business School, City University of London).

Armen Muradyan, MD, PhD, DSc, is the Rector of Yerevan State Medical University, the largest medical university and healthcare institution in Armenia, and a Professor of Medicine. He is the former Minister of Health of the Republic of Armenia. In the past he was the Chief of the Clinic of Urology at the Armenia Republican M

Background: Digital health overview.- Theoretical background and needs analysis.- Introduction: Needs, trends, applications.- Digital health in general: Gaps and Challenges.- State of the Art of Digital health in developing countries.- The digital divide based on development and availability.- Shifting disease burden.- Health inequalities and availability discourse: Needs and applications.- Potential and rational: Wider socio-economic outlook.- Needs of healthcare and medical research digitalization in developing countries: Digital Health Infrastructure.- Digitalization process, case studies.- Current applications and state: Gaps and challenges, especially governance and data.- Possible process optimization: Innovative digital health implementation models.- Preclinical research.- Clinical pathways.- Patient-facing applications.- Population-level applications.- Overarching challenges and risks.- Infrastructure needs, risks and opportunities.- Technical and design challenges.- Skills, behavioral and organizational challenges.- Governance and regulation specifics.- Investments and incentives.- Socio-economical aspect of digitalization.- Future developments: Sustainability (financial and educational).- Universal internet access: opportunities and risks.- Proliferation, ingestion and interpretation of data.- Ubiquitous and powerful AI.- Future non-tech trends.- Recommendations at a national and at a global level: Wider socio-economic outlook.