New Max-Planck School of Biomedical Artificial Intelligence – Prof. Topf from Leibniz-Institute of Virology Becomes Inaugural Fellow

The newly established Max-Planck School of Biomedical Artificial Intelligence (BMAI) brings together leading researchers from 24 institutes to advance the understanding of biological systems by combining biomedical technologies with artificial intelligence. Prof. Maya Topf from the Leibniz Institute of Virology will be among the inaugural Fellows, contributing her expertise in computational modeling and AI-based approaches.

The coordinating leadership of the new school is provided by Karsten Borgwardt, Director at Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried by Munich and spokesperson of the new school.

Representing 24 institutions, the Fellows of the Max Planck School will bring together expertise from a wide spectrum of research areas, including image and voice processing as well as immunology. The Topf group uses AI-based approaches to predict and evaluate structural models. Participation in the school offers the Leibniz Institute an excellent opportunity to link virology research more closely with biomedicine.

“Especially in infection research, where rapid progress can be crucial, computational approaches offer powerful new AI tools to better understand virus–host interactions and to open up new long-term perspectives for diagnostics and therapy,” says Prof. Maya Topf.

The Max-Planck School of BMAI emphasizes understanding biological systems by integrating modern biomedical technologies with AI-based approaches. Its goal is to train a new generation of scientists who can develop algorithms that recognize, explain, and predict the principles of living systems – and apply these insights to molecular design. Ethical considerations, data privacy, and data security are also key components of the program. In the medium term, the school aims to harness the enormous translational potential at the interface of biomedicine and AI.

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