School of Computing and Digital Technologies
  1. About us /
  2. University structure /
  3. School of Computing and Digital Technologies /
  4. News /
  5. SHU and Rotherham NHS Team Up to Accelerate Digital Health Innovation Research
25 November 2025

SHU and Rotherham NHS Team Up to Accelerate Digital Health Innovation Research

Three people presenting in front of a projector screen

Sheffield Hallam University (SHU), in collaboration with Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust, hosted a significant research networking event - the eHealth Research and Innovation Showcase - on October 7, 2025, at the Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) Foyer in Rotherham.

Organised by Dr. Abdussalam Salama and Dr. Chris Roast, the event successfully brought together a multidisciplinary team of SHU academics and key members of the Rotherham NHS research team, including Research Director Dr. Anil Hormis, Dr. Rachel Walker, Dr. Karim Shabeni, and 25 clinical research staff.

The showcase focused on exploring research synergies and future collaborative opportunities between the two institutions, with a series of presentations demonstrating the breadth of digital technologies being developed at SHU.

Highlights of the Research Showcase

The session featured talks spanning advanced AI applications to real-time clinical monitoring:

  • Dr. Abdussalam Salama presented his team’s mobile-based monitoring system, "LSTM-Enabled Smartphone for Independent Living," which uses AI and smartphone sensors to detect movement patterns and send real-time alerts - a promising innovation for elderly care.
  • Prof. Reza Saatchi discussed broader technological developments, including the use of thermal imaging for medical diagnosis and signal processing for respiration rate monitoring and EEG-based predictive analysis.

Person giving a talk

  • Dr. Aliyuda Ali showcased the Modified Parallel NET (MPNET) deep learning model, which is achieving highly accurate segmentation of visceral and superficial adipose tissue from CT scans, critical for the early identification of metabolic syndrome risks.
  • Kavyan Zoughalian and Raymond Mawanda presented on the security and interaction challenges of smart care, covering "Access Control for Assistive Robots in Healthcare" and "Intelligent User-Authentication for Assistive Robots" respectively, focusing on gait-based security systems for personalized patient interaction.
  • Dr. Maria Luisa Davila Garcia concluded the event by emphasizing SHU’s commitment to collaborative, responsible, and patient-centred AI research, inspiring ongoing partnerships with the NHS to bring digital health innovations to life.
  • Rizwana Rashad presented detected signs of age-related macular degeneration using explainable artificial intelligence.

The event, which was well-received by all attendees, marks a promising step towards strengthening the SHU–Rotherham NHS partnership to improve clinical efficiency and outcomes through digital health.