POLITYKA Science Award for AGH University scholar

The AGH University winner is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Automatics, Computer Science, and Biomedical Engineering. Being a specialist in biomedical engineering and biocybernetics, she works in the Department of Measurement and Electronics. She is predominantly focused on recognising voice biomarkers which may be relevant in diagnosing and monitoring neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson's and Alzheimer's). As of late, she has also been working on the detection of heart failure based on face and voice analysis. She analyses the speech of patients and creates applications (on mobiles and in mixed reality) to detect changes in behaviour which could be indicative of the emergence of early symptoms.

Dr Daria Hemmerling conducts research on the verge on technology and medicine, contributing to the development of interdisciplinary knowledge on early signs of parkinsonism and dementia. New algorithms will make it possible to diagnose with more accuracy, and the integration of various types of biosignals will allow obtaining a more complex picture of the patient’s health.

She is an author of articles published in globally-renowned journals. She delivered lectures at important national and international conferences, and the field she specialises in is a promise of a currently unknown medicine of avatars which will support medics in their work.

We have already reported on research projects by Dr Daria Hemmerling on our website:

• Mixed reality can help detect neurodegenerative diseases,
• We are beginning to recognise the potential of voice.

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From about 500 submissions, the jury of renowned Polish scholars selected 15 finalists. Then, the jury of civic activists with substantial professional, business, and artistic accomplishments picked 5 winners (in five categories: humanities, social sciences, exact sciences, technical sciences, life sciences) who received scholarships of PLN 15,000. The remaining 10 finalists received prizes in the amount of PLN 5,000.

This year marks the 24^th edition of the competition. The awarding ceremony took place in the seat of the POLITYKA weekly on 20 October 2023.