Üsküdar Üniversitesi at the 12th G20 / N20 (Neuroscience) Summit in Johannesburg!
Üsküdar Üniversitesi participated in the 12th G20 / N20 (Neuroscience) Annual Scientific Summit in Johannesburg, where groundbreaking studies in neuroscience, mental health, and neurotechnology were discussed on a global scale.
Prof. Dr. Tarhan, Founding Rector of Üsküdar Üniversitesi, highlighted the importance of big data-oriented artificial intelligence applications in healthcare and stated that one of AI's greatest contributions is “digital therapeutics.” He said, “Applications such as memory enhancement and attention training with personalized digital therapeutics will become widespread in the coming years. This will be a significant contribution of neuroscience to neuropsychiatry.”
Üsküdar Üniversitesi participated in the 12th G20 / N20 (Neuroscience) Annual Scientific Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, where groundbreaking studies in neuroscience, mental health, and neurotechnology were discussed on a global scale.
Bringing together leading scientists, engineers, physicians, and entrepreneurs from around the world, the summit aims to develop rapid clinical solutions for neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases and to strengthen neurotechnology initiatives in G20 countries.
Conducted by the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics
The N20 aims to contribute to former US President Barack Obama's BRAIN Initiative and expand activities for current and future projects across G20 countries.
Neuroscience20, while supporting Obama's Brain Initiative through its annual summit, also aims to establish a global Neurotechnology Innovation consortium to accelerate the diagnosis and treatment of neurological, psychiatric, and spinal disorders.
The Neuroscience20 organization, run by the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics, continues its efforts to establish a global Brain Initiatives consortium to create a united front aimed at combating various devastating neuropsychiatric disorders worldwide.
At the 12th annual summit, a wide range of topics was addressed, including brain mapping and therapeutics, neurotechnology innovations, investments, neuropsychiatric disorders, PTSD, artificial intelligence, mental health disorders, neurosurgery (vascular), neuroimaging, neuro-oncology, opioid addiction (pandemic), suicide prevention, epilepsy, spine, neurological infections, regulatory issues, neurodegenerative diseases such as MS, ALS, and Parkinson's, TBI, and spinal cord injuries.
The only university from Turkey participating in the summit: Üsküdar Üniversitesi!
As the only university from Turkey participating in the summit, Üsküdar Üniversitesi, with its strong academic background in mental health, neuroscience, and engineering, has played a pioneering role in establishing Global Brain Initiatives over the last 15 years within the scope of its collaboration with SBMT.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Founding Rector and Chairman of the Board of Üsküdar Üniversitesi, delivered the opening speech at the summit, sharing information on neuroscience studies conducted at the university, the NP model, and the Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) Database.
Prof. Dr. Tarhan highlighted big data-oriented artificial intelligence applications in healthcare
Prof. Tarhan, drawing attention to the importance of big data-oriented artificial intelligence applications in healthcare, reminded that the Nobel Prize for fundamental discoveries and inventions enabling artificial neural networks and machine learning in 2024 was awarded not to physicists, but to geneticist Hatfield and cognitive psychologist Hinton, stating that findings combining genetic codes with the functioning of artificial neural networks form the basis of artificial intelligence.
Stating that one of artificial intelligence's greatest contributions is “digital therapeutics,” Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, “We are developing personalized digital games and software. Individuals treat themselves and overcome their fears using artificial intelligence. Applications such as memory enhancement and attention training with personalized digital therapeutics will become widespread in the coming years. This will be a significant contribution of neuroscience to neuropsychiatry."
Speaking in the second session held in the afternoon, Prof. Dr. Tarhan conveyed the establishment and development process of the ME+ initiative, collaborations carried out with SBMT, and the university's achievements in internationalization. Prof. Dr. Tarhan noted that studies conducted with the contributions of multidisciplinary and multinational researchers can generate strong academic and social impact on a global scale.
Prof. Dr. Ergüzel presented studies in artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, and neuroscience in healthcare
Speaking in the same session, Prof. Dr. Türker Tekin Ergüzel, Vice Rector of Üsküdar Üniversitesi, evaluated studies in artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, and neuroscience in healthcare.
Stating that young researchers have high entrepreneurial motivation, Prof. Dr. Ergüzel expressed the need to plan structural transformations for this field.
Prof. Dr. Ergüzel stated that AI-focused health initiatives increase the accuracy of clinical decision support systems, strengthen cost-effectiveness, and produce innovative solutions in drug development, treatment, and clinical workflows through big data analytics, machine learning, and natural language processing techniques. He noted that elements such as regulatory compliance, data security, ethical use, and sustainable business models are critical for the success of these initiatives.
Prof. Dr. Ergüzel emphasized that public-private sector collaborations, early-stage funding mechanisms, and pilot applications accelerate the scaling of AI-based health innovations.
What does the transformation entail?
The priorities of the transformation, as expressed by Prof. Türker Ergüzel in short, medium, and long-term plans, include in the short term (1–3 years) AI therapist assistants, AI triage and risk screening tools, AI speech-based mental health assistants, and AI mental health analytics with wearable devices; in the medium term (3–7 years) AI for drug response prediction, early-stage school-based AI mental health systems, and workplace mental health intelligence systems; and in the long term (7–15 years) AI + BCI for drug-free treatment of mood disorders, real-time brain state decoding for emotional regulation, and AI-supported closed-loop neuromodulation.
The use of artificial intelligence in healthcare increases diagnostic accuracy
Fırat Tarhan, a Board Member, speaking about the studies conducted specifically at NPİSTANBUL Hastanesi and drawing attention to the financial parameters of the process, stated that the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare increases diagnostic accuracy, personalizes treatment processes, and enhances efficiency in health services.
Fırat Tarhan emphasized that for these technologies to be adopted safely and effectively, economic policies must be holistically designed to include data infrastructure investments, regulatory frameworks, public-private partnership models, and cost-effectiveness analyses.
Thousands of deaths can be prevented with artificial intelligence applications
Fırat Tarhan, pointing to the economic impact of artificial intelligence investments with numerical data from studies in the literature, stated that according to the study “The Potential Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Health Care Spending,” widespread adoption of AI in the US could lead to a 5–10% reduction in healthcare spending, corresponding to a saving of 200–360 billion USD as of 2019.
Approximately 400,000 deaths can be prevented annually!
Fırat Tarhan also stated that a report in Europe predicted that approximately 400 thousand deaths could be prevented annually with artificial intelligence applications. He noted that, according to findings in the literature, two critical points are highlighted in forming economic policy for AI in healthcare: “Artificial intelligence has a high potential for savings; however, investment costs, implementation process, and lack of effectiveness data make policy decisions challenging.”
DTx Studies are being expanded with University Industry Collaborations...
VoctoR Health, embodying the neuroscience vision emphasized by Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan and his team as a global brand, optimizes treatment processes by integrating its developed software and artificial intelligence (AI)-supported, prescribable, and non-invasive digital neurotherapeutic solutions into clinical workflows.
The platform monitors the user's eye, head, and hand movements in real-time within a VR/XR environment, converting these signals into digital biomarkers. Through explainable artificial intelligence models, the system provides clinicians with neuroscience-based assessment outputs; it creates an objective decision support foundation, especially in early diagnosis and preventive medicine processes.
In areas such as Alzheimer's, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), ADHD, depression, and stroke, VoctoR Health, which enables personalized digital neurotherapeutic applications tailored to each individual's unique cognitive and motor profile, advances this technology, registered with 6 patents, on a scientific basis through studies conducted with NPİSTANBUL Hastanesi.
Memorandum of understanding signed to be shared with policy-making leaders
On the last day of the N20 summit, Neurotechnology initiatives from country delegations of Africa, the Middle East and Balkans, North America, Latin America, Australasia, and Europe signed the memorandum of understanding provided below, to be shared with policy-making leaders.
