Mathematicians and Practicing Surgeons to Fight Venous Diseases
One million people in Russia suffer from venous diseases. The ‘Intelligent data analysis for healthcare information systems’ Mirror Lab project brings together expertise in mathematics and medicine in order to better diagnose various conditions in phlebology. Project leader Vasilii Gromov talked to The HSE LooK about its achievements and prospects.
Vasilii Gromov, Professor at the School of Data Analysis and Artificial Intelligence, Senior Research Fellow at the International Laboratory for Intelligent Systems and Structural Analysis, and leader of the project ‘Intelligent data analysis for healthcare information systems’
Why Doctors Need Mathematicians
Ideally, any mirror lab project would be interdisciplinary and combine two fundamentally different groups of researchers. In our case, these groups are mathematicians specialising in artificial intelligence and practicing surgeons who have little interest in our mathematical models but need a solution for their specific problem. There are tasks where applied mathematicians are not needed because a method already exists and just needs to be applied. However, there are also tasks where our presence is necessary, ie when the existing methods will not work. Diagnosis of venous diseases is an example of this type of task.
Our common challenge was learning to speak each other’s language
Our colleagues tried to understand why some of our formalities are important. For us, mathematics is a way of describing reality; if something doesn’t work, then this means that the chosen method is not applicable to the given task. We tried to understand their requests and their perspective of what they consider right and wrong. This kind of interdisciplinary experience is important, even if it slows down the process because too many things must be understood overall.
Mirror Labs are joint research projects between HSE University and its partner institutions. Launched in 2020, this format was the first inter-university initiative of its kind aimed at developing networks and collaborative partnerships, while also enhancing cooperation in research and academic activities between HSE University and other leading Russian academic institutions.
The name ‘mirror’ labs refers to the financing of projects on parity terms and pooling research resources from both sides: providing each other with necessary expertise, sharing analytical methodology and results, conducting training seminars for each other and hosting interns. Research activities may be carried out by joint project teams over a period of three years with the option for extension.
Mirror Lab projects can be carried out in various fields and a diverse array of formats.
Advances in Diagnostics with Machine Learning
While conversing with various colleagues (physicians, phlebologists, doctors of science in this particular field, etc), I heard a terrible number:
One million people in Russia suffer from venous diseases
The situation is dire and, as such, the task was to understand how the disease proceeds for particular people, ie, which vein gets blocked, which vein doesn’t get blocked, which vein gets partially blocked, and whether surgery is necessary or not. All of these factors can be learned from certain parameters and characteristics of the system, such as cross-sectional MRI, venous flow velocity in superficial veins, computed tomography, and so forth. From a mathematical point of view, the situation looked quite simple: we had to solve the so-called inverse problem of mathematical physics with the application of neural network approximation. However, it turned out that the body of healthcare data is actually very small.
While classical machine learning problems involve dealing with millions of pieces of data, here, we have around a hundred
We identified three interrelated approaches for solving the data problem: data collection from colleagues who deal with phlebology issues, sample augmentation using special mathematical methods, and the application of physics-informed neural networks.
The second task is no less important from a social and medical point of view. This concerns fistulas, artificial tube-like connections used particularly for patients who go through hemodialysis. The problem is that fistulas tend to get clogged and can lead to blood clots breaking off and restricted blood flow. With this in mind, we developed a device that can be attached to a fistula with a patch and identifies different types of blood movement inside it: ‘normal’, ‘consult a doctor immediately’, and ‘not critical yet, but you should probably consult a doctor’.
An Inter-Regional Project Becomes International
A former member of our department used to be Vice Rector for Science and Innovation at Surgut State University. When he enquired about which innovations could be introduced at his university, he learned there was a team of rather strong doctors and started looking for matching specialists to work with. So, we met, talked, and found some common points of understanding.
Today, our project team consists of specialists in mathematical modelling and AI from HSE University, and physicians, surgeons, diagnosticians, and specialists in social medicine from Surgut State University.
Moreover, our project attracted various specialists who deal with the same issues. As such, doctors from St Petersburg, Nizhnevartovsk, Samara, Tashkent, and the Netherlands are actively cooperating with us, and we hope that this list of people—to whom I would like to personally express my gratitude—will expand, and we will become a point of attraction in a broader sense.
We are progressing in phlebology, but the implementation period is much longer than three years
There have been practical developments, and we definitely know how to build a mathematical model. However, we need more human resources to complete it. Right now, we lack software engineers, mathematicians, and people who can organise data collection, but of course, we will continue working on the project!
Vasilii Gromov
Senior Research Fellow, International Laboratory for Intelligent Systems and Structural Analysis
See also:
Electronics of the Future: Why Superconductors and Spintronics Work Together
It was once believed that superconductivity and magnetism avoided each other like the devil avoids holy water. However, modern nanostructures prove the opposite. A Russian theoretical physicist and Indian experimentalists have joined forces to create the electronics of the future—free from energy losses. Nataliya Pugach, Professor at the School of Electronic Engineering at HSE MIEM and Leading Research Fellow at the Quantum Nanoelectronics Laboratory, explains how a long-standing acquaintance in Cambridge grew into a mirror laboratory project with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), how superconducting spintronics works, and what surprises a researcher in India beyond the university campus.
HSE University Installs Geoscan Station at IIT Bombay
A Russian ground station for receiving SONIKS satellite data has been installed on the campus of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay). Developed by Geoscan, the system will become part of a mirror laboratory project run jointly by HSE University and one of India’s leading universities.
HSE Physicists Propose Unified Theory for Describing Electric Double Layer
To develop more efficient batteries and catalysts, it is essential to understand the processes occurring at the metal–solution interface in the electric double layer (EDL). Physicists at HSE MIEM have proposed a unified theoretical model of the EDL that simultaneously accounts for selective adsorption of ions on the surface and partial charge transfer between ions and the metal—phenomena that had previously been described separately. The model’s predictions are consistent with experimental data. In the future, it may be used in the development of batteries, supercapacitors, and catalysts. The study has been published in Electrochimica Acta.
'Our Research Is Primarily Focused on Developing Lasers as Carriers of Information'
The International Laboratory of Quantum Optoelectronics at HSE University–St Petersburg develops semiconductor microlasers. The components and systems created by the laboratory also enable high-speed data transmission and processing. Natalia Kryzhanovskaya, Head of the Laboratory and Doctor of Sciences in Physics and Mathematics, spoke with the HSE News Service about the laboratory’s research areas and future prospects.
HSE to Launch Laboratories in Space Research and Nanoelectronics with One of India’s Top Universities
Scientists from the HSE University and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) will carry out joint research in the storage, transmission, and processing of data in space systems. A second major project will be a laboratory for superconducting spintronics—a promising field in modern nanoelectronics.
HSE and UTM Present Results of Mirror Laboratory's Work at Russian–Malaysian Commission
HSE University–St Petersburg and the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) presented the results of two years of work and a development roadmap for the mirror laboratory on social entrepreneurship. The document outlines the strategy for global transformation in the business and digital innovation sphere.
'We View Mathematics as a Universal Language for Natural Sciences, Economics, and Computer Science'
The Laboratory for Geometric Algebra and Applications at the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences is developing a universal language for mathematics, physics, and other exact and natural sciences. It is creating computational methods that are applied in geometry, physics, machine learning, engineering, computer science, and other fields. The laboratory’s staff, including doctoral students, have published numerous articles in leading scientific journals and have taken part in major international conferences. Dmitry Shirokov, Head of the Laboratory, spoke with the HSE News Service about their work.
HSE Researchers Introduce Novel Symmetry-Aware Neural Network Architecture
Researchers at the HSE Laboratory for Geometric Algebra and Applications have developed a new neural network architecture that can accelerate and streamline data analysis in physics, biology, and engineering. The scientists presented their solution on July 16 in Vancouver at ICML 2025, one of the world's leading conferences on machine learning. Both the paper and the source code are publicly available.
'Biotech Is Booming Worldwide'
For more than five years, the International Laboratory of Bioinformatics at the HSE Faculty of Computer Science has been advancing cutting-edge research. During this time, its scientists have achieved major breakthroughs, including the development of CARDIOLIFE—a unique genetic test unmatched worldwide that predicts the likelihood of cardiovascular disease. With the active participation of HSE students, including doctoral students, the team is also working on a new generation of medicines. In this interview with the HSE News Service, Laboratory Head Maria Poptsova shares insights into their work.
'Samarkand—St Petersburg': HSE University–St Petersburg and Samarkand State University to Design Digital Future of Cultural Heritage
Samarkand State University named after Sharof Rashidov hosted the international research and educational seminar 'Branding Cultural Heritage: Digital Tools and Design Practices.' The event gathered researchers and students from Russia and Uzbekistan—participants of a large-scale project of the mirror laboratory 'Integrated Platform Solutions for the Preservation and Promotion of Cultural Heritage (Cases of Samarkand and St Petersburg)'.