A new Department of Artificial Intelligence established at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava

With the start of the new academic year, the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ostrava has established a new Department of Artificial Intelligence, Digitalization, and Innovative Technologies. As the first academic unit of its kind in the Czech Republic, it will focus primarily on linking cutting-edge technology with practical medicine.

“Our faculty is young; this month it celebrates its 15^th anniversary as a medical school. Therefore, our goal is to keep up with modern trends, but not only that, we strive to be leaders in innovation in many areas of medicine. Our research activities reflect this ambition, and we aim to apply it as much as possible in the education of future doctors and other healthcare professionals,” says the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ostrava, doc. MUDr. Rastislav Maďar, PhD., MBA, FRCPS. The newly established department will be headed by doc. Ondřej Volný, Vice-Dean for Science and Research at the Faculty of Medicine, who also serves as the President of the Czech Society for Artificial Intelligence and Innovative Digital Technologies of the Czech Medical Association of Jan Evangelista Purkyně. “Having doc. Volný lead the department is further proof that our medical faculty in Ostrava is very active and progressive in this field,” adds Dean Rastislav Maďar.

The primary mission of the new department is to integrate state-of-the-art technologies with practical medical applications. It aims to focus on three key areas: the development and implementation of innovative technological solutions for clinical practice, the digitalization of healthcare processes, and, last but not least, research in neurotechnology and rehabilitation using virtual reality and Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) systems—technologies enabling direct communication between the brain and external devices such as computers, wheelchairs, or robotic prosthetics.

“Our goal is not only theoretical research but, above all, practical application. The department was created by merging two specialized medical research centers and represents a unique interdisciplinary workplace that combines medicine with the most modern technologies,” explains doc. MUDr. Ondřej Volný, Ph.D., FESO, Vice-Dean for Science and Research at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava.

According to doc. Volný, it is also crucial for future doctors and healthcare professionals to encounter artificial intelligence and its applications in medicine during their studies. “Our students will have the opportunity to engage with practical AI applications in neurology, rehabilitation, surgery, and other areas. They will gain hands-on experience with VR systems for rehabilitation or 3D printing of anatomical models. The curriculum will also include testing Brain-Computer Interface devices. Thanks to close cooperation with the University Hospital Ostrava, students will see firsthand how AI is used in real practice—from diagnostics with artificial intelligence to robot-assisted surgeries,” adds the Vice-Dean for Science and Research.

Students of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ostrava will also have the opportunity to participate in ongoing research projects, gaining experience in scientific work and contributing to the development of new technologies for healthcare. “We want our graduates not only to understand modern technologies but also to be able to actively use and further develop them in their future practice,” concludes doc. Ondřej Volný.

Updated: 15. 09. 2025