When millions of data points help unravel the causes of disease

Using algorithms, genomics and health data, AAU Excellence participant Aleksejs Sazonovs is looking for answers that can benefit future patients.

Why do some people develop chronic inflammatory diseases while others do not? And why are some people affected more severely than others? These questions are the focus of Aleksejs Sazonovs’ research.

He uses genetic information, large-scale health data and machine learning to study conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease. He hopes that this research will, in the longer term, contribute to better prevention and treatment.

Driven by curiosity and patients’ needs
While studying computer science, Aleksejs Sazonovs became interested in how algorithms and data could be used to answer complex questions about human health.

Today, his team works with data from hundreds of thousands of people in Denmark and other countries, developing state-of-the-art computational methods to make sense of it.

“What motivates me most is the hope that our research can contribute, even incrementally, to improving patients’ lives. Fortunately, there are plenty of exciting scientific puzzles to solve along the way,” he says.

International collaborations
Aleksejs Sazonovs has spent most of his research career in the UK, where he continues to collaborate closely with former colleagues. Since joining Aalborg University, he has also developed collaborations with research groups in the USA, Portugal and India.

“My time in the UK was very formative, both through the collaborations and friendships I built and through the mentors and colleagues who shaped my way of thinking about research: being open, self-critical and thorough, and focusing on questions that ultimately make a real difference.”

Looking ahead
“In five years, I hope we’ll have a clearer understanding of what sets these diseases in motion and how to stop this. It takes a village, and I’m glad to have built a great team that’s working hard to get there,” says Aleksejs Sazonovs.