New at ETH Zurich: Walter Karlen
Walter Karlen has been professor for mobile health systems since October 2014. In a short interview he explains why he chose his field of research and what it has in common with the Starship Enterprise.
How would you explain your research to a child?
We develop computer programs that help to assess your health. The cool thing is that we can install these programs on a mobile phone and use its sensors. If you have a cough and feel sick, for example, your mother might use her mobile to decide whether you should just stay in bed or should rather go to the doctor. Our systems work much like the tricorder that the ship's doctor, Dr McCoy, uses on the Starship Enterprise.
How did you end up doing research on mobile health systems?
I was always very interested in the miniaturisation and mobilisation of robots. Their measurement systems are highly dependent on environmental conditions. For automated medical applications you have to go a step further, since every patient behaves differently and many unknown parameters can influence diagnosis or treatment. I would like to contribute to individualised medicine by means of intelligent technology.
What is your favourite book and why?
I am an avid comic book fan and prefer to read them in their original language. My favourite is the classic “A la recherche de Peter Pan” (In Search of Peter Pan) by the artist Cosey from French-speaking Switzerland. His characters are fascinating, and the mountain worlds full of atmosphere in their colouring. That’s why I also have pictures by Cosey hanging on my office walls.
About Walter Karlen
Walter Karlen, born in 1979 in Switzerland, has been professor for mobile health systems at the Department for Health Science and Technology (D-HEST) since October 2014. The internationally recognised researcher works on individualised methods and devices for use in healthcare. Specifically, he develops biomedical sensors that can be deployed via wearable systems (e.g. mobile phones) away from clinical centres in order to investigate the health of selected population groups.
With the appointment of Walter Karlen, the Department of Health Sciences and Technology is strengthening its focus in the area of medical technology, rehabilitation and care.