Interview with SYNTHIA Coordinator Leonor Cerdá-Alberich: Reflections on Year One and What Comes Next
As the SYNTHIA project marks its first year, we sat down with Leonor Cerdá-Alberich, SYNTHIA Project Coordinator and Head of Computing and AI at the Biomedical Imaging Research Group at the La Fe Health Research Institute (IISLaFe, Valencia), to reflect on key milestones and share what lies ahead.
Year One: Setting the Foundation
Since its launch, SYNTHIA has achieved several important early milestones. “We have already established the CNT infrastructure for the SYNTHIA platform and developed the study protocols, defining the clinical variables and research questions that will guide our work” Cerdá-Alberich explained. In parallel, the project has delivered its Data Management Plan and completed its Data Protection Impact Assessment documentation. Another important achievement has been the initiation of synthetic data generation methods for more than two use cases, laying the groundwork for testing and validation in the coming phases.
Priorities for Year Two
Looking forward, Cerdá-Alberich outlined several priorities that will shape the project’s trajectory: “A central task is defining what ‘good synthetic data’ actually means. This is not only technical, it requires alignment across the entire consortium.” Another key focus is refining the vision for the SYNTHIA platform, from core principles and components to its long-term sustainability plan. Moreover, establishing a common understanding across research, industry, regulators, and HTA bodies is critical for building consensus on how synthetic data should be validated and assessed.
A Message to the Community
Cerdá-Alberich closed the interview with a call for collaboration across sectors: “We need perspectives from all stakeholders, including patients, to build a truly useful synthetic data ecosystem in Europe. Only through this shared vision can we ensure SYNTHIA serves the real needs of the healthcare community.” As SYNTHIA continues to evolve, this collective effort will be central to its success in shaping the future of synthetic data for medicine.
Watch the full video interview with Leonor Cerdá-Alberich
