dr. Ashkan Pirmani is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Hasselt University and KU Leuven, specializing in federated learning and real-world health data. He holds a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering (2018) and an MBA, and completed a double PhD in Belgium: one at the STADIUS/ESAT lab of KU Leuven under the supervision of Prof. Yves Moreau, and another in the Biomedical Data Sciences group at Hasselt University under Prof. Liesbet Peeters. His work focused on making sensitive health data more accessible and actionable while respecting privacy, ethical, and legal constraints.

Ashkan’s research centers on federated learning frameworks for multiple sclerosis and other real-world datasets, enabling organizations to collaborate without centralizing sensitive data. He introduced innovative concepts such as the “degree of federation” and developed tools like FL4E (Federated Learning for Everyone), which bridge centralized and decentralized analysis while safeguarding privacy. His work has supported large-scale projects, including global COVID-19 and MS data initiatives, and enabled accurate prediction of disability progression in tens of thousands of patients—all while maintaining data security.

Driven by a passion for translating complex data into meaningful insights, Ashkan combines technical innovation with practical problem-solving. He thrives at the intersection of machine learning, privacy-preserving data infrastructure, and collaborative health-data research, making him a versatile and forward-thinking contributor to the evolving landscape of real-world evidence generation.