Your Dietary Digital twin (DDtwin)

Digital twins are in silico representations of physical systems such as machines or buildings or Formula 1 racing cars. Their use is rapidly becoming everyday practice. However, unlike man-made machines, the complexity and heterogeneity of the human body is such that combining mathematics, computer science, and biology to create a human digital twin is a whole new ball game. We are building a Dietary Digital twin (DDtwin): a versatile, open-source technology platform that combines biology-based (mechanistic, dynamic) and data-driven (machine learning, AI) models, connected to real-life data (sensors, apps) to enable next-gen precision nutrition.

The core of DDtwin is a coupled differential equation-based mechanistic Meal Model, able to accurately simulate whole body glucose and lipid metabolism in response to meals containing carbohydrates, fats and proteins. The Meal Model can serve as a crystallization nucleus for further extension into a comprehensive digital twin.

During the workshop we aim to find potential solutions for a number of technical challenges that need to be overcome in order to extend the Meal Model. These include 1) connecting wearable sensor generated real-time Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) data to the model, 2) linking the dynamic core of DDtwin to models that mimic the gut microbiota (e.g. Genome-Scale Metabolic Models), and 3) design a human-centered user interface for DDtwin that links it to dietary intake data collected with apps. In addition to exploring technical solutions to extend DDtwin, we will make an inventory of ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) that need to be addressed to allow meaningful implementation of DDtwin for next-gen precision nutrition.

We have reserved six workshop spots for junior researchers (PhD/postdoc level) who want to contribute to DDtwin. We are looking for people with a background in modelling, machine learning/AI, computer science, design, or engineering and an interest in biology. Do you like working on technical challenges in a hackathon-like setting with global experts from academia and industry? This is your chance to get involved and start building a personal network!

Please submit your registration request consisting of a brief CV and motivation (max 2 pages in total) and we will be in touch with you. Travel and subsistence costs will be reimbursed and you will receive a certificate of participation.