Tadeu Baldani Caravieri discusses AI-driven diagnostics, wearable health devices and advanced cancer therapies in this exclusive interview.
As the founder director of Prototypes for Humanity, Tadeu Baldani Caravieri has championed a platform that connects academic talent with industry expertise.
As a flagship initiative of the Dubai Future Foundation, Prototypes for Humanity displays groundbreaking innovations from more than 800 universities worldwide, including Stanford University, MIT and Cambridge University.
The initiative, now in its 10th year, aims to improve healthcare, sustainability and societal wellbeing.
During this conversation, Tadeu highlights the potential for healthcare-focused projects in the program.
One of this year’s standout innovations is ‘Angie’, a unique CAR T-cell delivery system that targets brain stem gliomas, and ‘Peter’, a wearable device that helps Parkinson’s patients.
Additionally, the program addresses pressing global healthcare challenges, from antimicrobial resistance to affordable diagnostics.
In order to accelerate the path from prototype to scalable solution, the initiative facilitates partnerships with government, industry and investors.
Its impact can be seen in projects such as Dermopsy, which uses artificial intelligence to diagnose skin diseases, and Horseshoe Imaging, which provides ultrasounds to remote areas at a low cost.
A healthcare-focused organization, Prototypes for Humanity is fostering accessibility and enhancing patient outcomes.
What inspired the focus on health solutions within Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity, and how do you see these innovations reshaping global healthcare?
Academia is a global catalyst for innovation and Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity brings together thousands of the brightest young minds from across the world with solutions for challenges the planet and society are facing today. This year, we had thousands of entries from over 800 universities, including Stanford, Oxford, Cambridge and MIT and we invited 100 exceptional innovators to Dubai for the annual exhibition.
Healthcare is a major component each year and we had over than 30 ground-breaking projects from students and recent graduates in the 100 shortlisted projects for this year’s programme. These included a prototype device to help people with Parkinson’s disease walk again from the University of Cambridge, an AI-enabled camera-solution to log daily actions for people with memory impairment and more targeted cancer-treatment therapies.
Whether addressing global risks or localized problems, these shortlisted projects propose tangible ways forward, backed by research and driven by vision and entrepreneurial spirit.
Can you elaborate on the key healthcare challenges that Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity is addressing through its platform?
This year’s projects all aim to solve pressing issues in diagnostics, disease prevention, and personalized care. Innovations range from AI-powered diagnostic tools, wearable health monitoring devices, and targeted drug delivery systems, to accessible and efficient health solutions for marginalized groups. Collectively, they aim to enhance patient outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and improve the quality of life for diverse populations globally.
With healthcare being one of your priority areas, what are some of the most groundbreaking projects you’ve encountered through the program?
The award recipient in the health category this year was Fabian Landers from ETH Zurich, Switzerland, with his innovation ‘Angie’, which helps treat people with inoperable brainstem gliomas, which are resistant to conventional therapies. Fabian has developed a solution involving magnetically guided microcapsules that deliver CAR T-cells directly to the tumor site. Using remote magnetic navigation and ultrasound-triggered release, the precise delivery system enhances the efficacy of CAR T-cell therapy while minimizing side effects. This breakthrough approach offers hope for improving survival rates in patients suffering from this aggressive cancer.
Jon Fisher from the University of Cambridge was driven by his father’s experience with Parkinson’s diseases and has designed a solution he called ‘Peter’ – after his father.
‘Peter’ is a wearable biomedical device that helps people with the disease overcome a temporary freezing in their legs, a debilitation that prevents movement. Using AI and real-time tracking, the device detects when the legs stop working and plays rhythmic signals through the collarbone using bone conduction. This rhythm, only audible to the user, helps the person regain movement without drawing attention.
How does Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity collaborate with academic institutions to address pressing healthcare challenges like diagnostics, disease prevention, and patient care? What role does the healthcare section of the program play in tackling global issues such as antimicrobial resistance and affordable diagnostics in underserved communities?
Over the past decade, my team and I have established the world’s largest network of academic talent working on solutions for complex global issues, uniting over 20,000 professors from more than 800 universities across 6 continents. Each year we invite students and graduates to submit innovations that will help tackle pressing concerns in healthcare, alongside urgent challenges relating to energy, materials, environment, data and agriculture.
The core of Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity initiative is offering innovators the opportunity to scale their ideas and access crucial industry, government and investor partnerships to make their ideas a reality. We do this through a dedicated programme focusing on Dubai-based technology and commercial pilots with leading organizations. With industry partnerships, we help propel the ideas forward and develop them into viable, commercial ventures that can be developed at scale.
Some examples from this year’s cohort include AmCURE Antibiotic, a targeted antimicrobial treatment for resistant infections. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a grave risk, potentially ushering in a ‘post-antibiotic era’ where even minor infections could become deadly. Traditional antibiotics are losing efficacy, and new alternatives, like cationic polymers, show promise but face issues with in vivo toxicity. Developed by Bo Zhang from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, AmCURE Antibiotic addresses this by employing a “caging” strategy, where antimicrobials are deactivated and safely contained until reaching the infection site. This method releases the antimicrobials only in the presence of specific bacterial enzymes, reducing toxicity and enhancing treatment efficacy.
Your work with Horseshoe Imaging aims to make diagnostic ultrasound more accessible in low-income and remote areas. Could you elaborate on how the silicone-encapsulated probe and real-time data processing technologies make this innovation both cost-effective and portable for practical use in such settings?
Developed by Nisal Jayaneththi from The University of Melbourne, Horseshoe Imaging addresses the need for accessible diagnostic ultrasound in low-income and remote areas. Unlike traditional, expensive ultrasound equipment used only in clinical settings, this system features a flexible, silicone-encapsulated probe that conforms to the skin and simplifies manufacturing.
This innovation offers accessible diagnostic ultrasound for low-income and remote areas by offering a low-cost, portable wearable system. The system includes a compact electronic unit with an FPGA and Arm Processor for real-time data processing and streaming. This innovation enables continuous monitoring for applications like prenatal care, cardiac evaluation, and sports biomechanics, making high-quality imaging accessible and practical in various settings.
Dermopsy integrates Generative AI and deep learning with reflectance confocal microscopy to revolutionize dermatological diagnostics. How does the virtual staining process improve the speed and accuracy of diagnosing skin disorders compared to traditional histological methods?
Traditional methods for diagnosing skin disorders, including cancer and fungal infections, are often slow, costly, and invasive. Mashaal Ibne Masha Allah from the National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), has found a solution, Dermopsy, which utilizes a reflectance confocal microscope combined with advanced Generative AI and deep learning techniques to provide rapid, non- invasive diagnosis. This system performs virtual staining and segments infection samples without the need for traditional histological stains, reducing diagnostic time from days to minutes and lowering costs. Integrated on a cloud platform, it enables dermatopathologists to make swift, accurate decisions, significantly improving patient outcomes.
AiSee is an excellent example of technology addressing disabilities. How do you select and prioritize projects that focus on inclusivity and improving the quality of life for marginalized communities?
Drawn from thousands of applications from more than 800 universities, from over 100 countries around the world, these 100 exceptional innovations cover areas from health, data and society to energy and nature. Whether addressing global risks or localized problems, we felt these shortlisted 100 projects propose tangible ways forward, backed by research and driven by vision and entrepreneurial spirit.
The winners were selected from a panel of prominent judges, who are all experts in their field and provide valuable insight across a range of industries and professions:
- Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture)
- Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF)
- Kristoffer Gandrup-Marino, Chief of Innovation, UNICEF
- Naren Barfield, professor Emeritus, former Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost at the Royal College of Art
- Amira Sajwani, Managing Director at DAMAC Properties
- Lauren Selig, Entrepreneur, Investor and Philanthropist
The five winners share between them an AED 360,000 prize pool to further advance their research in critical areas.
How does Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity ensure that healthcare innovations from your platform reach communities in need?
Bringing together the best minds in academia, Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity reflects the current state of innovation and how complex issues are manifested, and addressed, by top academic talent.
Students and recent graduates are able to interact with industry professionals much faster than in the past due to the initiative, which gives visibility to innovations. During the four-day exhibition, we gather 100 exceptional innovators from across the world, along with industry professionals, government representatives, and investors, forming the world’s largest network of academic talent. It allows students and recent graduates to access investor partnerships that will enable them to take their ideas to the next level.
What kind of support does Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity offer healthcare innovators in terms of funding and venture-building?
We work with experts in their relative fields and the 2024 exhibition programme included a series of curated roundtables, connecting participants with leading public and private entities with a view to supporting their growth through venture-building.
Our program continues long after the exhibition has ended, as we provide ongoing support to participants with access to government, industry and investor partnerships so their innovations can be developed further.
Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity has had a positive impact on global healthcare solutions and innovation through its presence in UAE. How has it done this?
In 2024, Art Dubai Group and Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) created the Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity program, marking the 10th anniversary of the Prototypes for Humanity community’s creation. This year’s exhibition took place during the Dubai Future Forum of the Dubai Future Foundation. Designed to foster innovation, Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity showcases Dubai’s commitment to fostering breakthrough ideas and its commitment to supporting the dreams of young people from around the world.
We received 11 pilot models from the Middle East and four from the United Arab Emirates. It’s exciting to see the energy and excitement of young people. Using their talents, they hope to positively impact future generations. From climate change to new diseases to food security to ageing populations, we see a strong motivation among talented students to help change these conditions.
In the next 5-7 years, how do you envision Prototypes for Humanity’s healthcare section growing? What does it mean for global healthcare innovation?
Based on the applications that we receive from students and recent graduates, the program aims to reflect academic innovation globally.
Our mission is to showcase and support healthcare projects that illustrate what’s on the minds of international graduates across all disciplines. In the coming years, AI combined with efforts to democratize diagnosis will continue to play a very prominent role, alongside pharmaceutical solutions. Through robust POC and piloting opportunities, we will leverage Dubai’s healthcare infrastructure as well as the willingness of public and private stakeholders to embrace innovation.
