Narcolepsy and AI: a Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. delegation visits Unimore to launch a project with the AIRI Research Centre
The Takeda Pharmaceutical Company delegation, representing Japan’s largest pharmaceutical firm and one of the major players globally, visited Unimore on Tuesday 20 January at the Modena Technopole to finalise an important three-year collaboration agreement with the AIRI Interdepartmental Research Centre (Artificial Intelligence Research and Innovation), led by Professor Simone Calderara. The partnership will launch a multidisciplinary project on the diagnosis and study of narcolepsy through the application of artificial intelligence.
Narcolepsy is a complex neurological disorder that requires close integration of clinical expertise, scientific research, and technological development. This project aims to bring together clinical research, the pharmaceutical industry, and academic research, with particular focus on cataplexy—a hallmark symptom of Type 1 narcolepsy—and on innovative diagnostic and analytical methods, including approaches based on video data analysis.
“This is an important recognition of the international quality and visibility of AI research at Unimore, and of how the AIRI Centre can contribute to applied multidisciplinary research, providing significant benefits both to industry and society,” commented Professor Simone Calderara, Director of the AIRI Centre.
During the meeting, opened by Unimore Rector Rita Cucchiara, contributions were made by Professor Giuseppe Plazzi, Head of the Narcolepsy and Sleep Disorders Centre at the Bologna Institute of Neurological Sciences (IRCCS ISNB), collaborating on the project; Dr Dmitri Volfson, leading the Takeda delegation; and Dr Vittorio Cuculo, researcher at Unimore’s AImageLab and organiser of the event.
Presentations focused on the clinical and diagnostic perspectives of cataplexy, models for assessing wakefulness and sleep quality in narcolepsy, and the challenges and opportunities offered by video analysis of cataplectic events.
This gathering of experts from different fields has launched a significant new international collaboration between the AIRI Centre and the Japanese biopharmaceutical giant Takeda.
Categorie: International - english, Notizie_eng
Articolo pubblicato da: Ufficio Stampa Unimore - ufficiostampa@unimore.it il 22/01/2026