SPARK Academy

Name: SPARK Academy
Start: 2026-02-21T21:00:00Z
End: 2026-08-09T13:00:00Z

Medical Artificial Intelligence (MAI) Lab

February 22 to August 9, 2026

Welcome

The SPARK Academy Team is happy to welcome you to our event website! Here you will find more information about the academy, our objectives, and our upcoming program, including schedule and instructors.

Program Overview:

The Sprint AI Training for African Medical Imaging Knowledge Translation (SPARK) program is designed to train a new generation of African artificial intelligence (AI) experts in medical imaging who can train others. We use a case-based learning approach and collective intelligence from various related fields (radiology, medical physics, computer science, neurology/neurosurgery, and oncology) to rapidly turn AI knowledge into action.

The 4th edition of SPARK Academy ran from February 22nd to August 9th 2026. SPARK empowers African researchers to address health inequities by providing training in cutting-edge AI innovations for medical imaging. This free, case-based, hands-on training brought together passionate learners to create home-grown solutions for glioma diagnostics. Participants engaged in seminars on medical imaging, image processing, and deep learning, culminating in the development of AI models for submission as conference papers to the 2026 Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention Conference and Satellite Events. This initiative continues to showcase SPARK Academy's dedication to building technical capacity, fostering innovation, and strengthening collaborative networks that will create a sustainable impact in African healthcare through AI.

Objectives

The main objectives of SPARK Academy are:

Demonstrate knowledge of machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) applications in medical imaging.
Demonstrate skills in designing, implementing, and evaluating ML and DL architectures for medical segmentation.
Exhibit proficiency in transferable research skills, including study design, execution, and dissemination, with a focus on academic writing, publications, and science communication.
Collaborate effectively in interdisciplinary teams to develop innovative medical solutions.
Engage with the global AI imaging community to contribute to open-science initiatives.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the 2026 SPARK Academy, applicants must meet the following criteria:

Be a radiology, neurology, neurosurgery, or oncology resident, or a graduate student in radiography, physics, engineering, or computer science at an African institution.
Intermediate to advanced programming experience is recommended but not required.
Ability to attend the full-day hackathon in person at one of the hackathon sites for all five days.
Commit up to 5 hours per week for the entire program duration.
Commitment to complete all program activities on time.
Access to a working laptop or desktop
A self-motivated team player.
Clinical or research experience with brain tumours is recommended but not required.