Silja Heilmann

Silja Heilmann

Adjunkt

I am an assistant professor and biomedical data scientist with a physics background, specializing in single-cell resolution live imaging data bioinformatics. My interest lies in leveraging AI/computer vision for impactful research in Cancer, Stem cell, and Developmental Biology. These fields offer exciting questions with the potential to impact lives. I explore how spherically symmetric stem cell aggregates self-organize into complex structures and how cancer progression disrupts organ structure and symmetry, leading tumor cells to a stem cell-like state. I address these questions through AI-powered image analysis, mathematical/statistical tools, and finite element modeling.

 

Currently, I focus on two projects: 1) Detecting and characterizing metastatic cells in breast and colorectal cancer populations, 2) Studying morphogenesis and cell differentiation in the developing pancreas.

 

During my Ph.D. at the Niels Bohr Institute, I did theoretical/computational work on microbial ecosystems. Recognizing the need for strong collaborations with experimental biologists, I immersed myself in experimental environments during postdoc positions at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology. This experience solidified my ability to influence biomedical research beyond the role of a data analyst.

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