Nicholas Ayache
Nicholas Ayache's research applies AI to medical images, and his team works on the digital patient. From 1981 to 1988 he worked on artificial vision for autonomous robots, and from 1988 he turned to medical images, image-guided therapy and surgical simulation. He received the Microsoft Prize for Science in Europe in 2008 and was elected to the Académie des sciences in 2014. His term as scientific director of the 3IA Côte d'Azur AI institute ran from 2019 to 2025. As of October 2026, he is a research director at Inria, where he leads the EPIONE team.
Timeline
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1980–1983
Civil engineering and a PhD
He completes a civil engineering degree at the École des Mines de Saint-Étienne in 1980, a Master of Science at UCLA in 1981, and a PhD in 1983.
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1981–1991
Artificial vision for robots
From 1981 to 1988 he works on artificial vision for autonomous robots. MIT Press publishes his book Artificial Vision for Mobile Robots in 1991.
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Since 1988
Turning to medical image analysis
He turns to computer analysis of medical images, image-guided therapy and surgical simulation in 1988.
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2008
A Microsoft prize for science
He receives the Microsoft Prize for Science in Europe in 2008, and the jury includes the Royal Society and the Academy of Sciences.
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2012
Scientific director in Strasbourg
He becomes scientific director of the Strasbourg Institut hospitalo-universitaire at its creation in January 2012.
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2014
Membership of the Académie des sciences
He is elected a member of the Académie des sciences in 2014.
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2019–2025
Scientific director of 3IA
He serves as scientific director of the 3IA Côte d'Azur AI institute from 2019 to 2025.
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As of October 2026
The EPIONE team at Inria
He is a research director at Inria, where he leads the EPIONE team on the digital patient and digital medicine. His current research focuses on AI methods for diagnosis and therapy from medical images.
Sources and credits
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