Why Medical AI Tools Fail Children | Prof. Susan Shelmerdine

Professor Susan Shelmerdine is a leading expert in paediatric radiology and AI, particularly noted for her work in children’s imaging and the use of AI to improve healthcare outcomes for young patients. She currently serves as a Consultant Academic Paediatric Radiologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and as an Honorary Associate Professor at University College London (UCL) Institute of Child Health.

Professor Shelmerdine holds a PhD from UCL focused on post-mortem imaging in perinatal and childhood deaths and has developed techniques and facilities that are now used clinically for non-invasive investigations after death. Her active research includes the NIHR-funded FRACTURE study, which is evaluating AI systems for paediatric fracture detection and working to align AI’s deployment in healthcare with both ethical standards and child-focused needs.

She is widely recognized for her contributions to AI ethics in medicine. She serves as Chair of the AI Taskforce for the European Society of Paediatric Radiology, advises national healthcare policy through roles in NICE and MHRA, and is the current Royal College of Radiologists Roentgen Professor (2025–2026). Her work focuses strongly on responsible and inclusive technology design, critical thinking in healthcare, and cognitive leadership, ensuring that AI benefits everyone—especially children, who may be underserved by traditional innovation.

Professor Shelmerdine is also a prolific academic, with over 135 peer-reviewed publications, numerous invited lectures, and significant contributions to medical education, research, and policy in the UK and internationally.