The Parametric Human Project is a non-profit organization striving to build a global team of research scientists, professional IT, and data security specialists. We are focused on providing scalable cloud-based data management solutions for the human health research community.

Members of the Parametric Human Project use our secure access-controlled data repository to facilitate their research, manage access to their datasets and ultimately contribute to our growing statistically-based understanding of the human body.

vision & mission

Our vision is an eScience Platform for Human Data Collection and Curation that supports Precision Health.

The Parametric Human Project mission is to empower research and development to leap over traditional methods as a key enabler of Precision Health.

We believe that by creating a centralized data repository for multi-disciplinary collaboration pertaining to all knowledge of human biology, we will vastly improve the opportunity for future advancements in healthcare, design and personal wellness.

centralize

platform

cloude

AN ACCESS-CONTROLLED REPOSITORY

We are building an access-controlled repository for the secure storage, organization, and curation of digital human data.

  • Why we’re building a data repository A searchable knowledge-base of labeled data will facilitate a growing statistically-based understanding of human systems.
  • Who are our users Researchers from our member institutions in need of data-infrastructure to support controlled-access for local and/or global collaboration.

KEY DATA MANAGEMENT GOALS

We are focused on overcoming three key challenges to reach our data management goals.

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Collaboration Framework Establish processes to help institutions to openly collaborate by facilitating cross-institutional ethics review board applications and data sharing agreements

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Ontology Framework Establish standards for describing multifaceted human data including imaging, genetics, phenotypes, and microbiome.

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Data Repository Implement certification standards and understand the mapping between international regulations to enable secure cloud storage of human data

who we are

Azam_Khan

Azam Khan

Founder and Chair

Anne_Agur

Anne Agur

Director

Sid_Fels

Sid Fels

Director

Steen_Schledermann

Steen Schledermann

Director

Jeremy_Mogk

Jeremy Mogk

Director

Adriana_Ieraci

Adriana Ieraci

Director

We are grateful for the generous and ongoing support from the following organizations.

Autodesk Research

Founding Sponsor

NSERC Canada

FARO Technologies

GRAND NCE

1Autodesk_Inc
2University_of_Toronto
University_of_British_Columbia
University_of_Saskatchewan
University_of_Copenhagen
IT_University_of_Copenhagen
Personal_Genomes_org
University_of_Maine
McMaster_University
Georgia_Regents_University
National_University_of_Singapore
University_of_Alberta
University_of_Nebraska-Lincoln
Walter_Reed_National_Military_Medical_Center
The_Catholic_University_of_America
University_of_Pennsylvania
University_of_Auckland
Inria
University_of_Iowa
Institute_for_HumanMachine_Cognition
German_Research_Center_for_Artificial_Intelligence
Centre_National_de_la_Recherche_Scientifique
Brigham_Young_University
Ostbayerische_Technische_Hochschule
Georgia_Institute_of_Technology
OCAD_University
Seoul_National_University
Simon_Fraser_University

what’s new




2017

November 29
Digital copies spirrer forward over the world – Founder Azam Khan interviewed by Ingeniøren.dk
Read More

The Danish Engineering news paper “Inginøren“‘s Journalist Thomas Djursing inteviews Founder of Parametric Human Project on “Digital Twins” initiatives along with a number of related initiatives in the pursuit of creating in silico models of the human body boosting the development of medicine and avoiding the use of animal testing.

Thomas Djursing mentions a number of initiatives focusing of various elements of the complex nature of the human biology:

  • Virtual Physiological Human, Belgium
  • Human Cell Atlas, Europe and USA
  • Virtual Liver, Germany
  • EU-Toxrisk, EU project
  • Human Protein Atlas, Sweden
  • Parametric Huma Project, Canada and Denmark

Further researchers from initiatives at Novo Nordisk and Oxford Big Data Institute, Lundbeck, Københavns University are referenced in the article.

The article is in Danish and available at www.ing.dk.

Illustration by Ingeniøren.

November 02
Fast Company article on MaRS Discovery District mentions Parametric Human Project…
Read More

Parametric Human Project in Fast Company as an example of great new innovations in the new promising North American Innovation Hub  MaRS Discovery District, Toronto.

November 02
Participation at BioData World Congress 2017,
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https://conferencecentre.wellcomegenomecampus.org/news-events/events/biodata-world-congress-2017/

A great experience participating at BioData World Congress 2017. Absolutely great to learn how far several organizations have progressed their platforms for sharing of research data. To mention some:

  • The Welcome Trust Sanger Institute
    • The Institute is a centre-stage, world leader in genome research and aims to deliver new insights into human and pathogen biology that change the course of biology and medicine.
  • The Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH)
    • The Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH) takes a human rights approach to creating the tools and standards for responsible genomic data sharing.
  • ELIXIR
    • ELIXIR unites Europe’s leading life science organisations in managing and safeguarding the increasing volume of data being generated by publicly funded research. It coordinates, integrates and sustains bioinformatics resources across its member states and enables users in academia and industry to access services that are vital for their research.
  • PHG Foundation
    • PHG Foundation works to ensure biomedical innovation delivers better health for all
  • Eagle genomics
    • Our award winning software solutions give scientists instant, smart access to the right data and free up their time to let them do the science.
  • Databiology
    • DATABIOLOGY MAKES DISTRIBUTED BIOMEDICAL DATA ANALYSIS EASY
  • EMBL-EBI
    • The home for big data in biology
    • At the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), we help scientists realise the potential of ‘big data’ in biology, exploiting complex information to make discoveries that benefit humankind.
  • Pistoia Alliance, Inc.
    • LOWERING BARRIERS TO R&D INNOVATION
July 01
Launching new Website
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We are proud to launch a new website for our domain https://parametrichuman.org. Our new website support our new global TECH non-profit organization approach by communicating the organizational vision and mission to assist new stakeholders and funding partners to understand the purpose of Parametric Human Project.

The new website also provides insights of the results of the past research proof-of-concept project, supporting the previous small scale multi-disciplinary collaboration effort, demonstrating the value of combining Medical Science, Computer Science and Industry Technology research achieving more and bringing research forward.

June 01
Parametric Human Project Keynote at ADT 2017, Amiens France
Read More

At the 6th triennial congress of ADT (Advanced Digital Technology in Head and Neck Reconstruction) 2017, Dr. Azam Khan presented the closing keynote entitled “The Parametric Human Project: Advances in the Detailed Modeling of the Muscle-Architecture in the Head and Neck”.

Abstract: The human head and neck region of the body can be viewed as a complex system of multifunctional coordinated and overlapping musculoskeletal events. To develop realistic simulations of these activities, a model of sufficient fidelity is required. As this is a focus of the Parametric Human Project, we show progress along these fronts from project member institutions. We present progress from Dr. Anne Agur’s group on the musculoaponeurotic architecture of the extrinsic tongue, pharyngeal, and soft palate musculature, and from Dr. Sid Fels group on the integrated simulation of mastication, swallowing, and speech production. From our group at Autodesk Research we show multiscale time and space representations that may be used as a foundation for the systems level simulation of human physiology. The ultimate goal is to develop a surgical level-of-detail model where intervention designs can be tested in silico to show the outcome impact on all related functions.

May 10
Participation on eHealth Week 2017, Malta
Read More

On behalf of Parametric Human Project, Executive Director Steen Schledermann attends eHealth Week 2017 at Malta to engage with the European eHealth community – seeking answers to sharing of research and medical data, interoperability, unleashing the value of Big Health Data to address increasing cost of Health systems and at the same time achieving compliance with the EU GDPR in force by May 2018.

May 01
Parametric Human Project hire Executive Director
Read More

The Parametric Human Project is proud to announce the hiring of its Executive Director, Steen Schledermann. Steen holds MSc Engineering degree from Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and MIT IT Strategy and Management degree from IT University Denmark. Steen has 20 years’ experience in software development, operations and support. The last 15 years in the field of Medical Devices and Medical Devices Software for audiology clinical use along with general management of corporate Regulatory, Quality Assurance, Information Security and IT operations, implementing and maintaining ISO 13485 Medical Devices Quality Management System and ISO 27001 Information Security Management System certifications.

Steen Schledermann is the first employee of the TECH non-profit start-up organization based in our IT University office in Denmark and tasked with the job to establish the Parametric Human Project as a formal global non-profit organization.

Steen Schledermann is member of the Board of Directors of Parametric Human Project, Canada and Parametric Human Project, Danmark.


2016

October 26
Parametric Human Project incorporated as non-profit association in Denmark
Read More

The Parametric Human Project is proud to announce the incorporation of the Parametric Human Project, Danmark as a non-profit association in accordance with the Danish legislation. This association forms the second non-profit entity of the global non-profit organization envisioned by the Parametric Human Project Vision. The Danish entity establishes a European footprint and provides eligibility of Europe based organization, project and fundraising activities. The non-profit entities of Parametric Human Project is bound by equal Bylaws objects and mutual MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) ensuring a uniform approach in the realization of the Vision and Mission.

Parametric Human Project, Danmark is located at office 5E11 at IT University, Rued Langgaards Vej 7, 2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark. CVR: 38169580.

August 28
PMHA 2016 workshop in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Read More

The 4th International Workshop on Biomechanical and Parametric Modeling of Human Anatomy (PMHA-2016), was held on August 26-27. Hosted at the University of British Columbia, this year’s workshop included 53 participants (anatomists, dentists, oro-facial surgeons, linguists, computer scientists, and engineers) from 22 academic-, industry-, and government-based institutions from around the world. Once again, a special issue of Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering: Imaging & Visualization is planned to showcase a number of the submissions in a published format. The special issue is expected to be published in late 2017.


2015

September 01
Parametric Human Project sponsors the GET conference
Read More

The Parametric Human Project is proud to sponsor the GET (Genomes Environments Traits) Conference, in Vienna, Austria (September 17-19). This year celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Personal Genome Project and the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Human Genome Project.

August 31
Continued success at the growing PMHA workshop
Read More

The 3rd International Workshop on Biomechanical and Parametric Modeling of Human Anatomy
(
PMHA-2015) was held on August 29-30, 2015. Hosted in at the Autodesk office in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, this year’s workshop included 64 participants (computer scientists, anatomists, dentists, oro-facial surgeons, linguists, and engineers) from 27 academic-, industry-, and government-based institutions from around the world. Once again, a number of the submitted workshop papers will be selected to appear in a special issue of Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering: Imaging & Visualization, which is due to be published in late 2016.

May 01
Parametric Human Project office space at IT University of Copenhagen
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The Parametric Human Project establishes a second office for its not-for-profit activities, this time in the EU at the spectacular facilities of the IT University of Copenhagen.

March 28
Visualizing the progress of the Parametric Human Project at VIZBI 2015
Read More

James Li presented an overview of the Parametric Human Project at the Visualizing Biological Data (VIZBI 2015) conference. The poster highlighted the progress that has been made toward digitizing the complex architecture of all the muscles of the human body from a single specimen, showing the muscles in relation to the underlying bony anatomy.

January 15
Renewed funding through NSERC
Read More

The original NSERC-CRD grant that was used to launch the Parametric Human Project has been renewed for an additional year. This funding will allow the multi-disciplinary, collaborative research initiative between Autodesk Research, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Toronto to leverage its research momentum and to continue advancing the capture, modelling, and description of human anatomical variation.


2014

October 09
The Parametric Human Project is now at MaRS
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The Parametric Human Project now procured office space at the MaRS Discovery District, positioning itself in an innovation hub located at the heart of Canada’s largest research cluster in downtown Toronto.

August 24
Another successful PMHA workshop
Read More

The 2nd International Workshop on Biomechanical and Parametric Modeling of Human Anatomy
(
PMHA-2014) was held on August 22-23, 2014. Hosted once again in Vancouver, BC, Canada, the second PMHA workshop included 48 participants (computer scientists, anatomists, dentists, oro-facial surgeons, linguists, and engineers) from 22 academic-, industry-, and government-based institutions from around the world. A number of the submitted workshop papers will be selected to appear in a special issue of Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering: Imaging & Visualization, which is due to be published in late 2015.

February 14
Parametric Human Project registered as not-for-profit corporation in Canada
Read More

The Parametric Human Project is now registered as a not-for-profit corporation in Canada. An important aspect of the Parametric Human Project is to develop and maintain the cyber-infrastructure and the data sharing agreements between institutions. These will be the primary activities of the organization.


2013

December 02
Partnership with Network of Centres of Excellence
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We are in the process of developing a partnership with the Canadian NCE on Graphics, Animation and New Media (GRAND) for a multi-year collaboration that will focus on creating the technology to synthesize believable, lifelike human behaviours and functions. The services developed will comprise the neuromuscular and functional systems that drive human motions and intentions, as well as the expressive, cognitive, and social behaviours that make us human.

October 15
Another new partnership funded through industrial partnership program
Read More

Thanks, again, to funding through the NSERC Engage program, new partners have been added at the University of Toronto to focus on improving our database architecture. Data management work is being initiated alongside anatomical, geometric, and ontological analyses to improve the searchability, accessibility, and (re-)usability of data and models within the repository, as well as to support workflow provenance and jurisdictional data privacy standards.

September 12
Growing interest in the PHP consortium
Read More

New interest has been generated across many fields through the presentation of PHP-related research at international conferences related to anatomy (AACA 2013), biomechanics (CMBBE 2013 and ISB 2013), computer graphics (SIGGRAPH 2013), as well as surgical and rehabilitation medicine (AAMP/ISMR 2013). Beginning as a collection of partners and collaborators from 6 primary institutions, at its inception, the Parametric Human Project now includes over 50 participants from 18 institutions worldwide.

April 24
Ontological modelling initiated through industrial partnership program
Read More

Thanks to funding through the  pro NSERC Engage gram, we have added new partners at the University of Toronto to focus on knowledge representation of the variation in human anatomy. In development is an ontology that formalizes the existence of anatomical landmarks as geometric features, as well as defines the spatial relations that are required to formally describe the human anatomy in geometric terms, and to facilitate the logical and statistical querying of these anatomical features.

January 30
Inaugural PMHA workshop draws attention
Read More

The 1st International Workshop on Biomechanical and Parametric Modeling of Human Anatomy (PMHA-2013) was held on January 28-29, 2013. Hosted in Vancouver, BC, Canada, the inaugural workshop included 42 participants (computer scientists, anatomists, dentists, oro-facial surgeons, linguists, and engineers) from 14 academic-, industry-, and government-based institutions from around the world. A number of the submitted workshop papers have been selected to appear in a special issue of Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering: Imaging & Visualization, entitled Biomechanical and Parametric Modeling of Human Anatomy from Images, which is due to be published in early 2014.


2012

February 02
Launch of the Parametric Human Project
Read More

The Parametric Human Project launched on February 1, 2012 as a multi-disciplinary, collaborative research initiative between Autodesk Research, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Toronto under a 3-year NSERC-CRD grant. The scope of this grant focuses on creating a full skeletal atlas and detailed models of the muscles associated with the arm, head, and neck. The assembled team includes experts in anatomy, medical image processing, biomechanical modelling and simulation, as well as computer graphics and human computer interaction. Additional funding has been provided by Autodesk Canada Co., and Faro Technologies has provided equipment to enable laser scanning of skeletal specimens.


2016

August 26-27
PMHA 2016
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Read More

PMHA-square-2016-100The 4th International Workshop on Biomechanical and Parametric Modeling of Human Anatomy (PMHA) brings together a multi-disciplinary group of prominent scientific, clinical, and industry-based researchers to share techniques and approaches used to model the anatomy of the human body, as well as to demonstrate the use of biomechanical simulation to investigate biomedical and human factor applications. As a knowledge-sharing opportunity, PMHA provides a platform to identify and to explore new possibilities for inter-disciplinary collaboration with the common objective to better understand the elements and mechanisms that define and shape the dynamics and functions of the human body.


2015

August 29-30
PMHA 2015
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Read More

PMHA-square-2015-100The 3rd International Workshop on Biomechanical and Parametric Modeling of Human Anatomy (PMHA) unites a diverse group of outstanding scientific, clinical, and industry-based researchers to share techniques and procedures used to capture and model the anatomy of the human body, as well as to demonstrate the use of biomechanical simulation to investigate biomedical and human factors applications. PMHA presents a unique knowledge-sharing opportunity to discover and explore new opportunities for inter-disciplinary collaboration devoted to better understanding the elements and mechanisms that define and shape the dynamics and functions of the human body.


2014

August 22-23
PMHA 2014
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Read More

PMHA-square-2014-100The 2nd International Workshop on Biomechanical and Parametric Modeling of Human Anatomy (PMHA) brings together a multi-disciplinary group of prominent scientific, clinical, and industry-based researchers to share techniques and approaches used to model the anatomy of the human body, as well as to demonstrate the use of biomechanical simulation to investigate biomedical and human factor applications. As a knowledge-sharing opportunity, PMHA provides a platform to identify and to explore new possibilities for inter-disciplinary collaboration with the common objective to better understand the elements and mechanisms that define and shape the dynamics and functions of the human body.


2013

January 28-29
PMHA 2013
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Read More

PMHA-square-2013-100Many clinicians and researchers around the world are actively engaged in research dealing with the different dynamic functions of the human body. For example, the human oral, pharyngeal and laryngeal complex is a complex biomechanical component of the human body critical for eating, breathing, sleeping and communicating. Furthering our understanding of the dynamics and function of different areas of the human body are critical to diagnosis and treatment of a variety of disorders as well as providing the ground work for understanding how people react and interact with objects in the world. Researchers and clinicians approach modeling the structures and dynamics of the human body from multiple perspectives and techniques. This workshop brings together Computer Scientists, Dentists, Engineers, Linguists, Anatomists, Oro-facial Surgeons and among others to share techniques and approaches to modeling the biomechanics of the human body and applying these models to new biomedical and human factor applications.

discover

Discover stories from our member institutions.


George Church

MRI @ York University

York University

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Quantum Capture

Photogrammetry

niversity_of_Toronto

University of Toronto

Muscle Fiber Digitization

JawTongueFace01

University of British Columbia

Biomechanics Simulation

contact us



MaRS Discovery District

101 College St
Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7
Canada

+1 (416) 706-6538
[email protected]

Univate, University of Copenhagen

Njalsgade 76
2300 København S
Denmark

+45 2482 6402
[email protected]