Please introduce yourself briefly and describe your current role at DFKI
My name is Nele Brügge, and I have been working as a scientist at DFKI's northernmost location, the Lübeck Laboratory, for two years. In the AnoMed project, I focus on privacy-preserving analysis of sensitive data and safeguarding AI systems against attacks. Outside of research, I am a passionate triathlete and compete with my team in the regional league.
In which of the 29 research departments do you work at DFKI?
I work in the DFKI research department AI in Medical Image and Signal Processing in Lübeck. Our focus is on developing AI-based methods to support medical diagnostics and therapy. This includes deep learning techniques for the automatic recognition of disease patterns, personalized risk assessments, linking image data with clinical information, and developing transparent, explainable analysis methods.
What are you working on at the moment, or in other words, what are your plans for saving the world?
The goal of my research is to develop AI systems that improve medical care while being secure against attacks. This is particularly important in medicine, where models are trained on highly sensitive data. We use methods such as differential privacy, a mathematical concept that makes it possible to publish statistical information from data sets without compromising the privacy of individuals. With these methods, research groups could collaborate worldwide without having to share their sensitive data.
What are your strengths and what has been your greatest success or favourite experience so far?
My strengths lie in my perseverance and ambition to learn new and complex problems. It is difficult for me to single out one experience as the best. In general, I enjoy communicating complex topics in an understandable and exciting way. That's what I particularly like about conferences: they offer the opportunity not only to make your work visible, but also to exchange ideas with other experts and get inspiration for your own research.
What do you enjoy most about your job at DFKI? What inspires and fascinates you?
It is very fulfilling to work on topics that can make a real difference in the long term. I am motivated by the combination of social benefit and technological responsibility. I also appreciate the creative freedom that my work gives me, as well as the teamwork and interdisciplinary collaboration, for example with medical professionals. The best results so far have always come from the joint effort and the diverse perspectives within the team.
If you weren't a scientist, what career would you have pursued?
I would probably open a bicycle café. I envision it as a cozy spot with beautiful indoor plants, where you can enjoy great coffee – and a workshop where bikes are worked on. It would be a mix of craftsmanship, community, and my passion for road cycling. Although I'd definitely miss science.
Back to #WEatDFKI - Staffel 2