VU Magazine Editorial Team | Photo: Rachelle Dens | 13 September 2026

At the Opening of the 2026/2027 Academic Year, President of the Executive Board Margrethe Jonkman described Sara as an alumna to be proud of. A few years ago, we interviewed her for VU Magazine about her unique study path and what she had already achieved at such a young age. Now was the perfect opportunity to get in touch with her again and find out about her current activities.

You will soon be taking up the post of coordinator at the new Amsterdam AI & Health Centre – congratulations! What will this centre be focusing on?
'We bring together researchers, healthcare professionals, data scientists and experts from a range of other disciplines to develop and evaluate AI applications for healthcare and introduce them into practice responsibly. But it is not just about the technology itself. Within the knowledge network, we bring together expertise to address questions such as: how can AI be used safely? What are the ethical considerations? What does it mean for patients? And how will it change the way we deliver healthcare? In this way, we want to help shape the healthcare of the future.'

'Developing an AI tool is really only the beginning'

What do you think is currently missing in healthcare that makes a centre like this necessary?
'Above all, stronger connections between the different disciplines. That collaboration is essential if we want to take AI from a promising idea to a useful application in everyday healthcare. Developing an AI tool is really only the beginning. It is only when an application works well technically and fits the day-to-day reality of healthcare professionals and patients that it can truly add value.'

What motivated you to become the coordinator of this new centre?
'That motivation comes from my own research into artificial intelligence in surgery. During my PhD, I saw how many opportunities AI offers to improve healthcare, but also how many questions come with it. How do you make sure AI is used safely, reliably and responsibly? I find it incredibly rewarding to help build a centre of expertise that encourages innovation while ensuring that AI genuinely adds something to everyday healthcare.'

'These are not challenges that can be solved from within a single discipline'

How do you make sure AI applications actually find their way into healthcare practice?
'The first step is to understand why so many AI applications never make it into practice. Research within my research group – which consists of researchers in surgery – shows that promising applications often get stuck along the way, for example because they do not fit well with existing workflows or IT systems. These are not challenges that can be solved from within a single discipline. That is why healthcare professionals, researchers, IT specialists and other stakeholders need to work together from the outset. Ultimately, it is not about how many AI applications we develop, but how much value they create for patients and healthcare professionals.'

Can you give an example of an AI application that researchers from different disciplines are working on together?
'A good example comes from my own PhD research. Together with electronic patient record specialists – professionals who specialise in the systems used to record and manage patients’ medical information – and data scientists, we investigated how a machine-learning model could be integrated into the electronic patient record and how useful it would be in everyday practice. Legal experts and ethicists were also involved in considering the conditions required for the responsible use of AI. It is precisely this combination of different areas of expertise that makes it possible to turn AI into something that can genuinely be used in healthcare.'

'AI should not replace healthcare professionals, but support and strengthen them'

How do you expect AI to change the training of doctors and other healthcare professionals over the coming years?
'In fact, that is already happening. AI is increasingly being used in education and training, as well as to support clinical decision-making. At the same time, critical thinking remains indispensable. There is a risk that certain skills will be developed less fully as technology takes over more tasks. That is why future healthcare professionals need to learn not only how to use AI, but also how to assess its outputs and recognise when human expertise is still required. AI should not replace healthcare professionals, but support and strengthen them.'


The Amsterdam Center for AI and Health (AmsCAIH) is the centre of expertise for AI and health within Amsterdam Public Health (APH), the research institute of Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the University of Amsterdam. Ben Hmido is responsible for the centre’s day-to-day coordination. Its management team consists of Mark Hoogendoorn (VU Faculty of Science), Annet Kleiboer (VU Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences) and Martijn Schut (VU Faculty of Medicine).