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Turning real-world health challenges into fundable, translational collaborations

AI-LiSHealth+ is a cross-college, challenge-led interdisciplinary network at the University of Birmingham to help promising ideas progress towards evidence, implementation, adoption and equitable benefit.
Students sitting and chatting in an open study space.

About AI-LiSHealth+

Led by Dr Anandadeep Mandal, AI-LiSHealth+ is an active platform for challenge definition, partner engagement and consortium building. It connects organisations with University expertise in AI, health data, MedTech, translational innovation, prevention and health equity, economics, procurement, adoption, and policy to address real-world challenges. The platform provides a structured route from identifying a challenge to developing research, implementation and funding opportunities.

What does AI-LiSHealth+ aim to achieve?

Our aim is to help AI-enabled Life Sciences, MedTech and data-driven health innovations progress from discovery and data to robust evidence, responsible implementation, NHS and market adoption, and equitable benefit for patients and communities.

Within 24 to 36 months, Networks's ambition is to support at least two major submissions and build a £5–8 million opportunity pipeline across relevant routes including NIHR, MRC, UKRI, Innovate UK and Horizon Europe.

What is AI-LiSHealth+'s scope?

While health and Life Sciences sit at the heart of the Network, many challenges extend beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries. AI-LiSHealth+ therefore welcomes opportunities that span healthcare, public health, climate and environmental health, data science, technology, communities, economics and public policy, where interdisciplinary research collaboration can deliver practical impact.

Learn more about AI-LiSHealth+

What do we do?

AI-LiSHealth+ network will

  • Identify and develop partner-defined health and innovation challenges.
  • Connect external organisations with relevant interdisciplinary expertise across the University.
  • Use workshops, sandpits and roundtables to develop structured Challenge Briefs.
  • Assess promising opportunities through the Mission Translation and Consortium Accelerator.
  • Build credible consortia and support progression towards major external funding applications.
  • Develop longer-term relationships with NHS, public-sector, industry, community and international partners.

Who can partner with AI-LiSHealth+?

For partnership, AI-LiSHealth+ invites

NHS and health services: Bring clinical, operational, data, workforce, implementation or adoption challenges.

MedTech, Life Sciences and industry: Explore evidence generation, translation, user needs, commercialisation, procurement and scale-up.

Government and public-sector organisations: Bring policy, population-health, public-service, inclusion or implementation challenges.

Charities and third-sector organisations: Define community needs, service gaps and opportunities for evidence-led intervention.

Patients, public and community organisations: Shape priorities, acceptability, accessibility, equity, safeguarding and PPIE.

Researchers: Join interdisciplinary teams, contribute capability and develop challenge-led consortia.

International institutions

AI-LiSHealth+ welcomes collaboration with universities, public-health institutes, health systems, innovation organisations and other international partners whose expertise complements the Network.

Collaboration can begin with a focused activity—such as a joint workshop, challenge brief, data collaboration or funding proposal—and may develop into a longer-term institutional relationship, including researcher exchange, doctoral/ECR activity, training, knowledge exchange and, where appropriate, a formal Memorandum of Understanding.

Potential activities
  • Joint thematic workshops and challenge-led sandpits.
  • Comparative or multi-country research and data collaborations.
  • Joint supervision, doctoral and early-career researcher engagement.
  • Short courses, seminars and knowledge-exchange activities.
  • Development of international consortia and external funding applications.

Longer-term institutional collaboration and MoUs where there is a substantive programme of joint activity.

How does the AI-LiSHealth+ network operate?

Challenge-to-consortium pathway

1. Partner-defined need
A real-world health, service, data or innovation challenge is brought to the Network.

2. Structured Challenge Brief
The problem, beneficiaries, evidence, data, capability gaps, partners and potential routes are defined.

3. Workshop or sandpit
Relevant academic and external expertise is convened to refine the challenge and test possible responses.

4. Accelerator readiness assessment*
The opportunity is assessed across evidence, data, partners, governance, equity/PPIE, implementation feasibility, commercial/economic potential and funder fit.

5. Consortium design
High-readiness opportunities are developed into consortium structures with leadership, partners, work packages, governance, impact plans and outline budgets.

6. Funding submission
The strongest opportunities progress towards major external funding routes and longer-term implementation partnerships.

*Accelerator readiness assessment considers the strength of the evidence base, availability and suitability of data, partner commitment, governance arrangements, equity and PPIE, implementation feasibility, commercial and economic potential, and alignment with suitable funding opportunities.