Events February 26, 2020 UK-Japan Data-Driven Health Symposium

The UK-Japan Joint Symposium on Data-Driven Health was held in London on the 26th February 2020, co-organised by the AMED London Office, the UK’s Academy of Medical Sciences and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. The symposium focused on data strategies to predict risk, prevent and manage disease in individuals and populations, with over 70 participants bringing various perspectives from research and academia, private enterprises, funding and policy-related organisations. The overall goal of the symposium was to enable the development of new research connections between the UK and Japan in this field.

This event follows on from previous AMED London Office activities that dealt with new approaches to achieve better health outcomes over the life course, including two symposia on healthy and active ageing, and workshops with European cohort studies and biobanks. With separate thematic sessions on the health data landscape and resources in the UK and Japan, as well as health data for public health and for clinical decision-making, the symposium comprised 10 presentations and 3 panel discussions, and concluded with a wider audience-led discussion on ways forward for health data innovation.

Throughout the day, speakers addressed health data optimisation and resources including biobanks, health data for public health and delivering care through wearable technologies and digital platforms, and health data to support clinicians through application of AI and machine learning. The importance of digital health technologies’ evaluation, patient involvement, and appropriate ethics and regulatory policies were also highlighted.

Dr. Yuko Harayama, Professor Emeritus at Tohoku University and former Executive Member of the Council for Science Technology and Innovation at the Japanese Cabinet Office, and Professor Jill Pell of the University of Glasgow, acted as Co-Chairs of the symposium, with additional session chairmanship from Prof Toru Suzuki of the University of Leicester.

Following the main symposium agenda, a networking reception, also kindly hosted by the Academy of Medical Sciences, offered further opportunity to continue discussions begun during the day and to build research partnerships.

Through the sharing of experiences in the development and application of data-driven health expertise and technologies, it is expected that both the UK and Japan will be able to advance the level of medical research and healthcare provided to patients and the public.

The symposium was held as part of the Japan-UK Season of Culture – an initiative to showcase Japan’s multifaceted appeal, from its culture and art to innovation and cutting-edge technology in areas such as medicine, science and industry.