The Future of Medicine and Humanity According to Prof. Dr Karine Sargsyan. Open Lecture at Bialystok University of Technology
10-04-2025
The event is open to the academic community and all interested participants. The lecture will take place on Thursday, 24 April 2025, at 16:00 in the assembly hall of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Bialystok University of Technology, ul. Wiejska 45D. The lecture is part of the Ryszard Kapuscinski Lecture Series (KAPTalks). This is the first time that a KAPTalk will be held at a university in Eastern Poland.
Join us in person or online REGISTER HERE.
The event will be held in English. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions. The speaker will invite the audience to reflect on the future of medicine and healthcare, artificial intelligence, climate change, and the “enhancement” of human beings. These issues prompt us to reconsider what it means to be human in a rapidly changing world. We are entering an era in which:
- micro- and nanoplastics present in human blood and organs alter cellular functions in ways we do not yet understand,
- brain-computer interfaces enhance human cognitive, memory and perceptual abilities, requiring new ethical norms and the protection of individual autonomy,
- artificial intelligence and machine learning not only support but also biotechnologically enhance humans, particularly in medicine and diagnostics – reshaping the roles of healthcare professionals and approaches to patient care,
- genome editing and bioengineering enable not only treatment of diseases but also the transcendence of current human limitations.
The future of medicine lies not in hospitals – but in data, predictive diagnostics and decentralisation. Are we bold enough to revolutionise healthcare systems? Can we create a better future, even if it fills us with uncertainty? How can we preserve our humanity while striving for innovation?
Prof. Karine Sargsyan will address these and other pressing questions, presenting a semi-empirical yet visionary roadmap at the intersection of medicine and planetary health. She will articulate a vision of digital sovereignty in the future sociopolitical landscape.
FORESIGHT AS A METHOD OF PREDICTION
The lecture by Prof. Dr Karine Sargsyan is organised by the Foresight and Interdisciplinary Research Team at Bialystok University of Technology, which shares research interests with the speaker in the field of foresight (a method of analysing future developments). Foresight studies aim to identify and assess future events, needs, opportunities and risks related to socio-economic development.
The event is part of the Ryszard Kapuscinski Lecture Series (KAPTalks), co-organised by the European Commission, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and a network of partner universities and think tanks.
Since 2009, over 150 lectures have been held, gathering more than 50,000 participants worldwide – both in-person and online. This series provides a unique opportunity to acquire knowledge and engage in discussion on global development challenges such as climate change, economy, energy transition, health, trade, aid effectiveness, EU–Africa relations and the Sustainable Development Goals. Lectures are streamed online and viewed by audiences around the globe.
Prof. Dr Karine Sargsyan – physician, scientist, bestselling author and futurist – holds positions including Scientific Director of the OncoBiobank Shared Resource at Cedars-Sinai Cancer Center, Director of International Biobanking at the Medical University of Graz, and Head of the Department of Digital Medicine and Artificial Intelligence at Yerevan State Medical University.
Dr Sargsyan is a pioneer in biobanking and data infrastructure in biomedicine. As founding director, she created Biobank Graz (2007–2019), establishing it as a global model for sustainable development and innovation supporting breakthrough biomedical research and the advancement of precision medicine. She served as President of the European, Middle Eastern and African Society for Biopreservation and Biobanking (ESBB) in 2022–2023.
Prof. Sargsyan is a foresight visionary, digital health pioneer and global leader in scientific diplomacy and innovation. She has delivered over 150 lectures worldwide – including at TEDx and the United Nations General Assembly – inspiring audiences to redefine the future of health, technology and humanity.
Despite serious health challenges since birth and profound dyslexia, she mastered several languages and earned two academic degrees. Her life story – including recovery from brain surgery and memory loss – is a testament to perseverance and strength.
compiled by mz