Marta Kersten-Oertel
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Biography
Marta Kersten-Oertel received her BSc (Honours) in Computer Science with a minor in Art History and her MSc in Computer Science from Queen's University, followed by a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from McGill University. Her interdisciplinary training informs a research program at the intersection of artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction, extended reality (XR), visualization, and healthcare, with the goal of developing intelligent technologies that improve clinical decision-making, surgical planning, medical education, and patient care.
Her research integrates machine learning, computer vision, medical image analysis, visualization, and immersive technologies to develop health systems that are technically robust, human-centered, and clinically meaningful. Working closely with clinicians, healthcare organizations, and industry partners, she develops technologies spanning AI-assisted surgery, augmented and virtual reality for image-guided interventions, digital health, clinical decision support, explainable and trustworthy AI, and healthcare analytics.
Professor Kersten-Oertel's research has been supported by NSERC, CIHR, FRQ, Mitacs, and other national funding agencies. She serves on the Executive Board of the International Society for Computer Assisted Surgery (ISCAS), is an active member of the Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Interventions (MICCAI community, and serves on the Advisory Board of YULCOM Technologies. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, she is committed to advancing trustworthy AI and digital innovation that improve healthcare while ensuring technologies remain transparent, equitable, and centered on the needs of clinicians and patients.
Publications during the last 7 years
Papers in Refereed Journals
- Alizadeh, M., Collins, L., Kersten, M., Xiao, Y. A database of magnetic resonance imaging-transcranial ultrasound co-registration. Medical Physics, (In Press).
- Aktar, M., Tampieri, D., Xiao, Y., Rivaz, H., Kersten-Oertel, M. Few-shot learning for collateral evaluation in ischemic stroke. Computerized Medical Imaging and Graphics, 123: 102550.
- Asadi, Z., Castillo, J.P., Asadi, M., Sinclair, D., Kersten-Oertel, M. iSurgARy: A mobile augmented reality solution for ventriculostomy in resource-limited settings. Healthcare Technology Letters, 12(1): e12118.
- Reyes, J., Batmaz, A. U., Kersten-Oertel, M. Trusting AI: Does Uncertainty visualization affects decision-making? Frontiers in Computer Science, 7(1464348).
Funded Research during the last 7 years
| From-To | Source | Title | Purpose | Type | Role | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-2028 | NSERC/FRQ | Improving Precision and Accuracy in Mid-air Surgical Planning Systems for Surgeons | R | G | Co-PI | $225,000 |
| 2024-2025 | Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS) | Mixed Reality Technologies for Enhanced Surgical Decision Making, Navigation, and Patient Care | R | C | PI | $128,000 |
| 2023-2026 | MITACS | A Sustainable Artificial Intelligence Decision Support System to Detect Diseases using Medical Imaging IoT Equipment | R | O | Co-PI | $180,000 |
| 2023-2024 | SAGES | “LapBot Safe Chole”: Validation of an Artificial Intelligence-Powered Mobile Game App to Teach Safe Cholecystectomy Amongst Surgeons and Surgical Trainees | R | O | Co-PI | $30,000 |
| 2023-2024 | National Research Council of Canada (NRC) | Reducing anxiety prior to medical examinations using virtual reality and machine learning | R | G | PI | $24,500 |
| 2022-2024 | MEDTEQ+ | Radiothérapie pancréas | R | O | Co-PI | $703,210 |
| 2022-2024 | SSHRC | Harnessing screen content for well-being of long-term care residents: A human expertise/ Artificial intelligence endeavour to counteract Covid related social isolation | R | C | Co-PI | $237,411 |
| 2022-2024 | Compute Canada | Deep Learning for Multimodal Data with Applications in Healthcare | R | G | Co-I | $63,825 |
| 2022-2024 | Concordia University | An extended-reality system workflow for improving the accuracy and safety of minimally invasive lung surgery | R | O | Co-PI | $52,000 |
| 2021-2024 | FRQNT | Towards an intelligent & intuitive neurosurgical visualization system | R | C | Co-PI | $60,000 |
| 2021-2023 | Tri-Council | Safer ventriculostomy using transcranial ultrasound-guided augmented reality ventriculography | R | G | PI | $250,000 |
| 2021-2023 | CFI | Multimedia and Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure to Counteract Pandemic- Related Social Isolation in Long Term Care Facilities | R | G | Co-A | $315,000 |
| 2021-2022 | Concordia University | An Augmented Reality Mobile App for Image- Guided Subcutaneous Injections in Multiple Sclerosis | R | O | PI | $14,000 |
| 2020-2021 | BIC–PERFORM | [18F]-Fluoroethyl Tyrosine Positron Emission Tomography: Mapping Invasion of Central Nervous System Tumors within the Brain to Enable Development of an Image- Based Surgery Guidance System | R | G | Co-PI | $12,500 |
| 2019-2024 | Concordia University | Concordia University Research Chair | R | O | PI | $125,000 |
| 2018-2022 | NSERC | Surgical Innovation Trainee Program | O | C | Co-PI | $1,650,000 |
| 2018-2021 | NSERC | Using Big Data Analytics to Improve the Decision Making of System-on- module based Solutions, Grant, Operating | R | C | Co-PI | $407,000 |
| 2018-2021 | CIHR | Achieving precision in Image-guided Neurosurgery via an open-source collaborative software environment | R | C | Co-PI | $458,818 |
| 2018-2020 | FRQNT | Guidage audio pour la chirugie assisté par ordinateur | E | C | PI | $37,000 |
| 2018-2020 | FRQNT | Guidage audio pour la chirugie assisté par ordinateur | R | C | PI | $50,000 |
| 2017-2024 | NSERC | Novel display, visualization and interaction paradigms for enhanced understanding of complex, multidimensional medical images | R | C | PI | $175,000 |
| 2017-2022 | CIHR | Ultrasound based pedicle screw navigation: an intraoperative image guidance system without radiation exposure | R | C | Co-PI | $657,900 |
| 2016-2020 | European Commision | IMARECULTURE: Advanced VR, immersive serious games and AR as tools to raise awareness and access to European underwater cultural heritage | R | G | Collaborator | $2,370,275 |
LEGEND:
Purpose
C: Contract (R and D) | E: Equipment Grant | R: Research Grant | S: Support Award | P: Pedagogical Grant | O: Other, U: Unknown
Type
C: Granting Councils | G: Government | F: Foundations | I: UO Internal Funding | O: Other | U: Unknown
Role
PI = Principal Investigator | Co-I = Co-Investigator | Co-PI = Co-Principal Investigator
