Thursday • October 2
9:00-9:30 • Welcome & Awards
Location: X Theatre
9:30-10:30 • Keynote • Visual Representations Addressing The Temporal Aspect Of Biomolecular Data • Barbora Kozlíková
Location: X Theatre • Chair: Renata G. Raidou
Abstract • When analyzing and exploring complex biological datasets, we often have to handle their temporal aspect, capturing the evolution of certain phenomena. Their proper visual representation and understanding can significantly influence the decision-making processes. In this talk, I will outline the issues and challenges in visualizing long and complex time series of biomolecular datasets and demonstrate possible solutions that have been developed in the past years.
Bio • Barbora Kozlikova is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Informatics, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. She a member of the Department of Visual Computing and is heading the Visitlab research group focusing on diverse topics in visualization. Barbora got her Ph.D. in Computer Graphics in 2011. Her main research interests are visualization and visual analysis with diverse application areas, including biochemistry, medicine, geography, and criminology. With her 7 Ph.D. students she is working on many interesting research topics. She is responsible for several courses taught at our faculty and I’m always interested in starting new collaborations. She has organized the EG EuroVis 2018 conference and also the EG VCBM 2019 workshop.
11:00-12:30 • Paper Session 1
Location: X Theatre • Chair: Kai Lawonn
11:00-11:20 • Sophie Mlitzke, Sarah Mittenentzwei, Bernhard Preim, and Monique Meuschke
Best Short Paper Honorable Mention Interaction in Narrative Medical Visualization: Insights from a Case Study on Tumor Diseases (SP )
11:20-11:40 • Beatrice Budich, Bernhard Preim, Bernhard A Sabel, and Monique Meuschke
Narrative Medical Visualization to Communicate Vision Restoration to Patients: a Case Study (SP )
12:00-11:00 • Margarida Rodrigues, João D. Afonso, Inês Lúcio, Luís Proença, José João Mendes, Pedro Rodrigues, Renata Georgia Raidou, and Daniel S.Lopes
Mind Mapping Anatomical Illustrations: Evaluating Paper- and Slide-based Educational Tools (SP )
12:00-12:20 • Jorik Jakober, Matthias Kunz, Robert Kreher, Matteo Pantano, Daniel Braß, Janine Weidling, Rüdiger Braun-Dullaeus, Christian Hansen, and Bernhard Preim
Design, Development, and Evaluation of an Immersive Augmented Virtuality Training System for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (FP )
14:00-15:30 • Paper Session 2
Location: X Theatre • Chair: Monique Meuschke
14:00-14:20 • Anna Sterzik, Tomáš Lednický, Andrea Csáki, and Kai Lawonn
A Visualization Framework for Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Imaging in Sensing Applications (FP )
14:20-14:40 • Mahmood Alzubaidi,Uzair Shah, Marco Agus, Corrado Cali, Pierre J. Magistretti, and Mowafa Househ
Best Paper Honorable Mention Deep Learning for Brain Electron Microscopy Segmentation: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions in Connectomics and Ultrastructure Analysis (FP )
14:40-15:00 • Lukas Schilcher, Peter Waldert, Benedikt Kantz, and Tobias Schreck
Clusters in Focus: A Simple and Robust Detail-On-Demand Dashboard for Patient Data (SP )
15:00-15:20 • Fabienne von Deylen, Pepe Eulzer, and Kai Lawonn
AortaAnalyzer: Interactive, Integrated CTA Aorta Segmentation and Quantitative Analysis Platform (FP )
16:00-17:00 • Keynote • Whose Knowledge Counts? Rethinking Objectivity in Data and AI • Sara Colombo
Location: X Theatre • Chair: Katja Bühler
Abstract • We tend to assume that data is objective, sometimes even unquestionable truth, especially as we leverage it in AI to uncover patterns, make predictions, and drive decisions. Data is often treated as neutral and universal knowledge, ignoring the systems and perspectives that shape it. Critical computing and feminist epistemology challenge this view, exposing how claims of objectivity can conceal bias, reproduce exclusion, and silence lived experience in data-driven technologies. I argue that questioning what counts as “data” and whose data count is not a distraction from scientific and technological advancement but is essential to it. By embedding plurality, participation, and transparency into data-driven systems and AI, we can design technologies that reflect human complexity rather than erase it, opening the way for more inclusive and just forms of progress.
Bio • Dr. Sara Colombo is an Assistant Professor of Designing Responsible AI at the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology. She is director of the Feminist Generative AI Lab at TU Delft. Her academic work investigates novel approaches, methodologies, and tools to design fair and ethical AI systems, empower individuals through AI, and shape AI futures through public engagement. Her research aims to merge data feminism and design futuring approaches to explore new ways to co-create more inclusive and just AI futures. She believes in the ability of design to envision future worlds and to inspire a more just and ethical development of technology for society.
17:00-18:00 • Posters and Reception
Location: X Café
Hamidreza Maharlou, and Steffen Oeltze-Jafra
AI-Powered Dashboards for Cohort Study Monitoring and Analysis (Abstract )
Soumyadeep Basu, Chang Li, Thomas Kroes, Boudewijn Lelieveldt, Brian Long, and Thomas Höllt
Cytosplore Gradient Surfer: Comparative Visual Analysis of Spatial Gene Expression Gradients Across Datasets (Abstract )
Martin Ropjak and Zuzana Cernekova
Efficient and Explainable 3D CNNs for Alzheimer’s MRI Diagnosis (Abstract )
Peter Waldert, Sonja Langthaler, Theresa Rienmüller, Benedikt Kantz, and Tobias Schreck
Optimization of a Parametrized, Time-Dependent Hidden Markov Model by Example of an Electrophysiological Cancer Cell (Abstract )
Mohit Sharma, Emma Nilsson, Martin Falk, Talha Bin Masood, Lee Jollans, Anders Persson, Tino Ebbers, and Ingrid Hotz
Topology-Guided Volume Fusion for Multi-Energy Spectral Computed Tomography (Abstract )
Poster previews can be found in the poster gallery.
Friday • October 3
9:00-10:00 • Keynote • High Dimensional Analysis Of The Human Intestinal Immune System Identifies A Disease Associated Network Of Immune Cell Subsets • Frits Koning
Location: X Theatre • Chair: Thomas Höllt
Abstract • The immune system protects us against invading pathogens and plays an important role in the eradication of particular types of tumors. On the other hand, dysregulated immune responses underlie the development of a large variety of immune mediated disorders like celiac disease, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel diseases. Also, novel approaches to enhance immune activity against cancer can lead to the development of autoimmunity, stressing the need to develop more tailored immune interventions to prevent such unwanted side effects. Much effort is thus focused on unraveling the positive and negative aspects of immune activation. For this novel technologies like single cell mass cytometry and RNA-sequencing are used to decipher the complexity of the immune system and the mechanisms that either enhance or dampen its activation. We have been using these technologies to collect data on the tissue resident immune populations in the intestine, the organ that contains the largest immune compartment in the human body. Here we have focused on gaining insight in the development of the human intestinal immune compartment and its involvement in inflammatory bowel disease. For the analysis of the complex datasets we have made use and developed tSNE-based tools. The results reveal a previously unappreciated complexity in the intestinal immune system and demonstrate that coordinated activity of a variety of immune subsets underlies disease activity. Moreover, we observed that dynamic monitoring of the development of the tSNE plots reveals potential developmental pathways that drive the generation of harmful immune populations while suppressing regulatory mechanisms. We anticipate that such results may ultimately be used to develop patient-specific immune interventions.
Bio • Frits Koning has been a staff member in the department of Immunology of the Leiden University Medical Centre since 1993. He was the CEO of the Dutch Celiac Disease Consortium (CDC) in which immunologists, geneticists, food specialists and medical doctors collaborated with industrial partners to improve the quality of life of patients with celiac disease. He is well recognized for his contributions to the field of immune mediated disorders, celiac disease in particular. Through his work it is now well established which gluten fragments are disease causative and how they are recognized by disease-related T cells, providing a molecular basis for the genetic association between HLA-DQ and celiac disease. In his most recent work he uses high dimensional flow and mass cytometry to unravel the involvement of the innate and adaptive immune system in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.
10:30-12:00 • Paper Session 3
Location: X Theatre • Chair: Marco Agus
10:30-10:50 • Georg Wimmer, Ibrahim Khan, Lara Bieler, Bruno Benedetti, Sebastien Couillard-Despres, and Andreas Uhl
Microglia Cell Segmentation Using a Hand-crafted Method Capable of Handling High Noise Levels in Image Data (SP )
10:50-11:10 • Lena Cibulski, Fiete Haack, Adelinde Uhrmacher, and Stefan Bruckner
Best Short Paper Visual Analysis of Time-dependent Observables in Cell Signaling Simulations (SP )
11:10-11:30 • Emilia Ståhlbom, Jesper Molin, Claes Lundström, and Anders Ynnerman
Exploring Feasibility of Seamless Multiscale Zooming in Genome Browsers (SP )
11:30-11:50 • Blaz Brence, Joachim Fuchs, Peter Robin Hiesinger, and Daniel Baum
Fully Automated Quantification of Synaptic Localization in Multi-channel Drosophila Photoreceptor Microscopy Data (SP )
12:00-12:30 • Industry Session with Siemens Healthineers • Challenges of Clinical Applications for Ultrasound Imaging
Location: X Theatre • Chair: Stefan Bruckner
Abstract • Ultrasound imaging offers distinct advantages over other medical modalities such as CT, MRI, and X-Ray, including real-time acquisition, flow imaging capability, and non-invasiveness. However, these benefits often come at the cost of reduced image quality and difficulties in interpreting the medical images. To support clinical specialists in their duties, clinical applications are implemented on ultrasound systems. With recent advancements in AI methods, these applications have transformed the way clinical specialists work by providing accurate, reproducible, and efficient workflows. Nevertheless, new challenges arise as the focus shifts from basic measurements and data analyses to integrated solutions and tools that guide clinical experts throughout procedures while keeping them in full control. In this presentation, we would like to highlight a few challenges we encountered while developing such applications, which might be of interest to the broader medical visualization community.
13:30-15:00 • Paper Session 4
Location: X Theatre • Chair: Alessio Arleo
13:30-13:50 • Jie Yi Tan, Leonhard Rist, Abraham Ayala Hernandez, Michael Sühling, Erik Gudmann Steuble Brandt, Andreas Maier, and Oliver Taubmann
Pancreatic Duct Centerline Extraction for Image Unfolding in Photon-Counting CT (FP )
13:50-14:10 • Pepe Eulzer and Kai Lawonn
Best Paper Uniform Parametric Mapping of Saccular Intracranial Aneurysms for Statistical Analysis of Morphological Variation (FP )
14:10-14:30 • Julia Kummer, Elmar Laistler, Lena Nohava, Renata Georgia Raidou, and Katja Bühler
Flattening-based Visualization of Supine Breast MRI (FP )
14:30-14:50 • Niklas Merk, Anna Sterzik, and Kai Lawonn
DeepSES: Learning Solvent-excluded Surfaces via Neural Signed Distance Fields (FP )
15:30-16:30 • Keynote • Brain Imaging Beyond Anatomy: A Network Approach For Safer Brain Surgery • Geert-Jan Rutten
Location: X Theatre • Chair: Anna Vilanova
Abstract • There is no brain surgery without imaging. Traditionally, surgical decision-making has relied on anatomical images from CT and MRI, providing essential information about the location and extent of pathology. While indispensable, such anatomical guidance alone is no longer sufficient. Brain tumors, for example, not only displace but also infiltrate functional tissue, and their impact on brain networks leads to large interindividual variation. This challenges the traditional localizationist model and underscores the need for a network perspective.
Recent advances in neuroimaging and visualization enable us to move beyond static anatomy and to capture the dynamic organization of brain networks. By adopting this perspective, surgical planning can more effectively balance oncological goals—maximizing resection—with preservation of neurological and cognitive functioning.
The challenge, immense in itself as it addresses the structure–function problem of the brain, extends beyond image acquisition and network analysis. The impact of advanced methods depends on their adoption by clinicians and on how results are communicated to end-users—the neurosurgeons and clinical teams in the operating room. Visualization must therefore not only represent the complexity and uncertainty of networks, but also make them clinically interpretable and actionable.
In this talk, I will discuss recent developments in advanced MR imaging and network-based visualization, and how they can be incorporated into neurosurgical planning to support more effective and safer brain surgery.
Bio • Geert-Jan Rutten is a neurosurgeon at Elisabeth-Tweesteden Hospital (ETZ) in Tilburg with a clinical and scientific focus on the relationship between brain structure and function. He specializes in awake brain tumor surgery and deep brain stimulation. His research employs advanced neuroimaging techniques such as functional MRI and tractography to understand how neurological and cognitive functions are affected by brain tumors and surgery. Dr. Rutten has co-led multiple interdisciplinary projects to develop personalized, image-guided neurosurgical tools based on the human connectome. He holds a professorship at the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at TU Eindhoven, bridging clinical neuroscience with computational modeling.
16:30-17:00 • Closing & Awards
Location: X Theatre