Open Science Institute · Theme

Open Health

Open Health builds open, privacy-preserving infrastructure for health research, from the digital twin of the human body to the physical place where people can encounter their own.

Theme lead · Prof. Robin Wilkening, PhD

Open Twin Hub

Project lead: Prof. Robin Wilkening, PhD · Started 10/2025

This open infrastructure project creates a physical place where people can directly encounter and experience their digital health twin. It is designed as an immersive on-site environment that makes the concept of a digital twin tangible, interactive, and understandable. The focus lies on experience, dialogue, and learning at the interface of humans and their digital representation.

References (4)

Zhang K, Zhou HY, Baptista-Hon DT, et al. Concepts and applications of digital twins in healthcare and medicine. Patterns. 2024;5(8):101028. doi:10.1016/j.patter.2024.101028.
Khoshfekr Rudsari H, Tseng B, Zhu H, et al. Digital twins in healthcare: a comprehensive review and future directions. Front Digit Health. 2025;7:1633539. doi:10.3389/fdgth.2025.1633539.
Katsoulakis E, Wang Q, Wu H, et al. Digital twins for health: a scoping review. NPJ Digit Med. 2024;7(1):77. doi:10.1038/s41746-024-01073-0.
Gilbert, S., Baca-Motes, K., Quer, G. et al. (2024). Citizen data sovereignty is key to wearables and wellness data reuse for the common good. npj Digit. Med. 7:27. doi: 10.1038/s41746-024-01004-z.

Open Twin Lab

Project lead: Prof. Robin Wilkening, PhD · Started 09/2025

This research project is aimed at building a generalized, dynamic digital twin of the human body. It integrates deep phenotyping, longitudinal biomedical data, and advanced computational modeling, with a strong focus on data privacy, security, and decentralized storage. The project seeks to simulate health and disease across the human lifespan and to provide the scientific foundation for a new paradigm of predictive, preventive, and precision medicine.

Visit Open Twin Lab

References (5)

Engel GL. (1977). The need for a new medical model: a challenge for biomedicine. Science. 196(4286):129-36. doi: 10.1126/science.847460.
Haring R, Wallaschofski H. Diving through the "-omics": the case for deep phenotyping and systems epidemiology. OMICS. 2012;16(5):231-234. doi:10.1089/omi.2011.0108.
Iqbal JD, Krauthammer M, Witt CM, Biller-Andorno N, Christen M. A consensus statement on the use of digital twins in medicine. NPJ Digit Med. 2025;8(1):484. doi:10.1038/s41746-025-01897-4.
De Domenico M, Allegri L, Caldarelli G, et al. Challenges and opportunities for digital twins in precision medicine from a complex systems perspective. NPJ Digit Med. 2025;8(1):37. doi:10.1038/s41746-024-01402-3.
Emmert-Streib F, Parkkila S, Laubenbacher R, Mannermaa A, Hood L, Yli-Harja O. The role of digital twins in P4 medicine: A paradigm for modern healthcare. NPJ Digit Med. 2025;8(1):735. doi:10.1038/s41746-025-02115-x.