My Topol fellowship problem / project:

Advancements in the field of artificial intelligence have opened up numerous avenues for researchers to study and understand various medical pathologies and diseases. One such area where AI has shown great potential is in the field of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal diseases. These diseases affect millions of people around the world and are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Understanding the pathogenesis of these diseases is essential to develop better treatments and therapies to alleviate the suffering of the patients. One of the ways in which AI is being used to study cardiovascular diseases is through the use of advanced neural networks. These networks can analyse large sets of data from various sources such as electronic medical records, clinical trials, and imaging studies to predict the prognosis of these diseases. This type of analysis is particularly useful in diseases such as heart failure, where predicting the course of the disease can be challenging due to the complex interplay of various factors. Similarly, AI is also being used to study musculoskeletal diseases such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoporosis. These diseases are characterized by the degeneration of the joints and bones and can lead to significant disability and reduced quality of life. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of these diseases is essential to develop better treatments and therapies to prevent their progression. Advanced neural networks are being used to study the genetic, molecular, and environmental factors that contribute to the development and progression of these diseases. By analysing large sets of data from various sources such as genetic studies, clinical trials, and imaging studies, researchers can identify new targets for therapy and develop personalized treatment plans for patients. The use of advanced neural networks in the study of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal diseases is just the beginning of a new era in medical research. With the increasing availability of data and computing power, AI is poised to revolutionize the way we understand and treat diseases. The potential benefits of this technology are enormous, and it is up to the medical community to harness its power to improve the health and well-being of patients around the world.

Dr. Hammouche holds triple qualifications as an orthopaedic surgeon and a biomedical engineer, in addition to his current fellowship training as a Clinical Artificial Intelligence (London AI Centre) and his soon-to-commence fellowship as the Topol Digital Health Fellow (NHS Digital Academy). Clinically, he is dual board-certified by the European Board of Orthopaedic and Traumatology (FEBOT) and the International Society of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology (SICOT Dip.Ortho), and he is on track to becoming board certified by the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He is completing his T&O residency at the esteemed London Postgraduate School of Surgery, UK, and has been trained at several of the world’s largest and most renowned orthopaedic centres, including Great Ormond Street Hospital, Nottingham Queens Medical Centre, St Bartholomew’s and Royal London Hospitals NHS Trust, The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (Stanmore), University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, and Norfolk & Norwich Orthopaedic Institute. He has trained at four major level I trauma centres during his residency program and four tertiary referral centres for complex arthroplasty and sports medicine. Dr. Hammouche has performed over 2200 orthopaedic procedures during his residency program, under supervision from world-renowned surgeons and mentors. He has also participated in approximately 100 revision arthroplasty procedures, and he has performed over 200 hip, knee, shoulder, and ankle arthroscopic procedures, 90 total joint replacements, 80 hemiarthroplasties, 80 dynamic hip screws, 150 open reduction internal fixations of fractures, 50 intramedullary nails, and 23 tendon repairs. In the field of biomedical engineering, Dr. Hammouche has obtained a PhD in hip replacements’ tribology, assessing the longevity of novel hip bearing surfaces at the University of Leeds (one of the largest academic joint replacement simulation centres in the world). He has developed niche academic, technical, and research skills in the assessment of orthopaedic implants in accordance with ISO standards, from wear, friction, joint simulation, wear particle isolation, and UHD Scanning Electron Microscope perspectives. He has collaborated with biologists, biomedical scientists and engineers, technical staff, and industrial partners from two major biomedical and orthopaedic companies (J&J and Invibio). He also holds an M.Sc. (with Merits) in orthopaedic engineering from Cardiff University (one of the Top Five UK Universities in 2015). Dr. Hammouche has recently been awarded a funded fellowship in Clinical Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (a collaboration between Imperial College London, King’s College London, and The London Medical Imaging & AI Centre for Value-Based Healthcare), following a highly competitive selection process with less than a 5% approval rate. He is currently undertaking this fellowship alongside his orthopaedic residency, developing his skills in large dataset acquisition, ingestion, imaging segmentation and atlas referencing, 4D survival modelling, and AI coding (convoluted neural networks). He is also working with Bayer’s R&D team on alpha and beta testing and user interface assessment of the Calantic™ Digital Solutions. Furthermore, he is involved in early phase AI assessment, including ethics, concept testing, and adoption of novel AI tools, working with the MONAI consortium on AI Deployment Engine, a platform that seeks to make integration of AI software into clinical pathways safe and efficient. Additionally, he has been awarded the Topol Digital Health Fellowship by NHS Digital Academy. Dr. Hammouche possesses an impressive track record of academic accomplishments and professional achievements. With over fifteen article publications, fifteen published abstracts, and over 40 presentations in nationally and internationally renowned journals and conferences, he has proven himself to be a prolific and respected scholar in his field. He has been recognized as the AAOS Resident of the Month for May 2021, and as a New Investigator Recognition Award Finalist by the Orthopaedic Research Society (New Orleans 2018). He has also received prestigious fellowships from the British Orthopaedic Trainees Association, the Percivall Pott, and the Chang Chen Travelling Fellowships. In addition to his academic pursuits, Dr. Hammouche has demonstrated his leadership abilities through various positions in his program, including serving as the Secretary of the Percivall Pott Club, and his involvement in several scientific and leadership committees at the AAOS. He is currently a member of the editorial board of Arthroplasty Today, AAHKS – AAOS. Dr. Hammouche has achieved an impressive set of qualifications and certifications, having obtained dual board-certification from the European Board of Orthopaedic and Traumatology and the International Society of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology. He is also UK board eligible and holds a US medical license, having passed all his USMLEs exams and obtained an ECFMG certificate. He has completed a wide range of relevant surgical courses, including the AAHKS Resident Arthroplasty Course, AAOS Orthopaedic Review, AAOS Casting Fundamentals, OTA Residents Comprehensive Fracture Management, Sports Medicine Arthroscopy Fellow Masterclasses, AO Principles of Fracture Management, and ATLS. Dr. Hammouche is driven by a strong desire to become a world-renowned orthopaedic surgeon in both clinical and academic circles. He aims to work at a top academic unit where he can utilize his niche engineering, computing, and artificial intelligence skills to innovate, stratify, and optimize orthopaedic implants and AI tools to improve the outcomes and ease the suffering of orthopaedic patients. He is particularly interested in working in a centre where there are existing research teams or a strong collective vision by the department to support him in building and developing such teams to become a world-leading unit in AI and Orthopaedic Engineering. Additionally, he is keen to be involved in charitable overseas missions and collaborating with and training overseas doctors.