At a time when artificial intelligence (AI) inspires both hope and concern, some researchers are demonstrating how this technology can serve the greater good.
Dr. Maxime Taquet, a brilliant Belgian scientist recently honoured with the prestigious 2024 Sir Jules Thorn Award by the Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust, is a perfect example.
An Exceptional Career Path
This prestigious award, which provides funding of up to £1.7 million over five years, recognises outstanding researchers in the early stages of their academic careers. Dr. Taquet’s nomination by the University of Oxford, followed by the award, reflects the international recognition he has earned.
His unique academic journey highlights his insatiable intellectual curiosity. A civil engineering graduate from Université catholique de Louvain in 2009 with a specialization in brain imaging, he later pursued a PhD between Belgium and Harvard Medical School, supported in part by the WBI Excellence World scholarship. His research explored interactions between the brain and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism.
However, the indirect nature of imaging work left him wanting more direct patient interaction. He soon expressed the desire to work closely with patients and joined the University of Oxford’s accelerated medical program, which combines self-learning, bedside teaching, and academic medicine. He specialized in psychiatry and now works as a psychiatrist, researcher, and lecturer.
AI and Psychiatry
Dr. Taquet’s innovative approach lies in his ability to merge his engineering expertise with his medical practice. He develops practical applications of artificial intelligence to improve the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses. His award-winning project, Instability Measurement to Predict and Alter Clinical Trajectories of Severe Mental Illness (IMPACT-SMI), aims to predict and modify the clinical trajectories of severe mental illnesses by analysing symptom fluctuations over time.
His perspective on AI diverges from the dystopian scenarios often portrayed in the media. He demonstrates how this technology, when used rigorously and ethically, can revolutionize medicine — particularly mental health. By combining brain imaging data, mobile phone information, and genetic data, his team is developing more precise tools for diagnosing and treating psychiatric disorders.
This multidimensional approach was particularly impactful during the COVID-19 pandemic, where his research helped deepen understanding of the neurological and psychiatric effects of the disease. A major study he led, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, became a reference in the field.
A Committed Researcher
Beyond his research, Dr. Maxime Taquet embodies a vision of science centred on humanity. His career, marked by a dedication to knowledge-sharing, reflects a deep quest for meaning, a desire to understand the world, and a commitment to finding solutions.
Dr. Taquet’s inspiring success highlights the importance of scientific mobility opportunities. With institutional support and international collaborations, researchers like him are able to turn innovative ideas into tangible advancements.
For students and researchers aspiring to follow a similar path, Wallonie-Bruxelles International offers various programmes to support international mobility. These opportunities, as in Dr. Taquet’s case, can serve as a springboard to an exceptional scientific career dedicated to advancing medicine.
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