Andrew Soltan



I am an NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer across the Departments of Oncology and Engineering Sciences (Computational Health Informatics Lab), and Specialty Registrar in Medical Oncology at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. I am also the Dissertation Lead for the MSc in Applied Digital Health at the University of Oxford.

My research develops federated techniques and transformer-architecture models for routinely collected healthcare data; aiming to develop, evaluate and deploy clinical tools for Cancer care pathways.

During my NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship, my research specialism was developing AI-enabled screening, diagnostic and prognostic tools using routinely collected healthcare data. Working with Professor David Clifton's Computational Health Informatics group, I led development and evaluation of an AI screening test for COVID-19 in emergency departments, based upon blood tests and vital signs recorded within 1h of a patient arriving in hospital. The CURIAL AI test was piloted in Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital Emergency Department in early-2021, and described in an accompanying The Lancet Digital Health commentary as "an elegant breakthrough to enhance the clinical decision-making process in the age of artificial intelligence".  Complimentary work has explored model-level approaches to reduce bias in AI predictions.

To support confidential development of AI models within the NHS, I developed a new platform for rapidly-deployable and readily scalable federated learning, using inexpensive micro-computing devices. The CURIAL-Federated platform was piloted across 4 NHS Trusts in 2022 to train and evaluate a Covid-19 screening test, with participating hospitals retaining custody of their data at all times, and published in The Lancet Digital Health in February 2024.

Alongside my clinical and research interests, I lead the 10-week practical dissertation module for the MSc in Applied Digital Health. The dissertation placements offer students an immersive practical experience and chance to develop a specialism within the digital health research and translational pipeline, while expanding their professional networks. 

I graduated with distinction from the University of Cambridge's medical school, moving to Oxford in 2018 for  postgraduate training within NIHR funded joint academic and clinical training posts.