Chiara Di Vece
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Chiara Di Vece: AI Lead at morph · PhD, UCL From computer vision for fetal ultrasound to soft robotics.

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Chiara Di Vece

Hi, I'm Chiara.

I build real-time perception for things that move: first an ultrasound probe over a fetal brain, now soft robots. I lead AI at morph, a soft robotics startup still in stealth.

My PhD at UCL taught deep learning models to guide sonographers to the right views in fetal brain ultrasound, without any tracking hardware, in real time on NVIDIA's Clara AGX. Before that I built surgical simulators with haptics and VR in Milan and Chicago. I also trained in ballet for fifteen years.

Role
AI Lead, morph
PhD
Computer Science, UCL, 2026
Reviewer
15+ reviews for CVPR, ECCV, MICCAI, ICRA
citations
138 citations on Google Scholar
h-index
8 h-index on Google Scholar
papers
13 papers, the list
awards
15 awards, the list

Citations and h-index from Google Scholar, updated October 2026.

News

Sep 2026

My PhD in Computer Science from UCL has been officially awarded. The thesis is on real-time deep learning-based plane pose estimation and navigation in freehand fetal brain ultrasound.

  • Chiara next to the title slide of her PhD viva, Real-Time Deep Learning-Based Plane Pose Estimation and Navigation in Freehand Fetal Brain Ultrasound
  • Chiara in front of the UCL main building on the day of her viva
  • Chiara with colleagues from the Surgical Robot Vision group at the UCL Hawkes Institute after the viva
Feb 2026 My PhD viva at UCL

  1. Jul 2026

    HyKey, our hyperspectral keypoint detection and matching method for minimally invasive surgery, was presented at IPCAI 2026 in Nagoya. The dataset and code are public. Dataset and code

  2. Apr 2026

    Our multicentre benchmark dataset for landmark-based fetal ultrasound biometry is out in Scientific Reports, with open data and code. Read the paper

  3. Feb 2026

    I defended my PhD at UCL and passed with minor corrections. Thank you to my supervisors Dan Stoyanov and Francisco Vasconcelos, and to my examiners Ester Bonmati and George Mylonas.

  4. May 2025

    "Mismatched", our study of where image matching methods and benchmarks break down, is published in the ECCV 2024 Workshops proceedings. Read the paper

Older news

  1. Apr 2025

    Our robotic arm platform for multi-view image acquisition and 3D reconstruction in minimally invasive surgery is published in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters. Read the paper

  2. Mar 2025

    I presented FETUS, our freehand ultrasound training system, at Innovation in Women's Health Tech 2025 in London. Our Women's Health Tech Grant project was also named one of the top 3.

Research

My PhD taught machines to find their way through fetal ultrasound. Now I build AI for soft robots.

The thread across all three: real-time perception, in imaging, in surgery and in simulation.

Pipeline figure: standard plane classification, 6D plane pose regression on a fetal head model, and distance to the standard plane over video frames

Navigating fetal ultrasound

Sensorless 6D plane pose regression that tells a sonographer how far they are from a diagnostic standard plane, using only the 2D video stream, deployed in real time (3 ms) on NVIDIA Clara AGX. Plus a multicentre benchmark for fetal biometry.

IEEE T-MRB IJCARS Scientific Reports

A segmented ovine brain with a catheter inserted, beside the same brain as a position-based dynamics particle model
Figure: Segato, Di Vece et al., IEEE RA-L 2021, CC BY 4.0

Simulation for surgical training

A position-based dynamics model of brain deformation for keyhole neurosurgery, and a VR and haptics trainer for Veress needle insertion.

IEEE RA-L IJCARS

3D vision inside surgery

Keypoint matching that sees beyond RGB with hyperspectral imaging, a robotic rig for multi-view laparoscopic capture, and a hard look at where image matching benchmarks break down.

HyKey Robotic arm platform Mismatched

Hyperspectral and RGB laparoscopic images of ex-vivo and in-vivo tissue from the HyKey dataset

Now AI Lead and Founding Applied Scientist at morph , since Oct 2024.

Publications

Three to start with, then all 13, which you can filter by stage of the perception pipeline, first author or journal.

  1. 2026 · IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging

    Measuring proximity to standard planes during fetal brain ultrasound scanning

    Under reviewCited by 4: Measuring proximity to standard planes during fetal brain ultrasound scanning

  2. 2025 · IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters

    Robotic arm platform for multi-view image acquisition and 3D reconstruction in minimally invasive surgery

    Cited by 9: Robotic arm platform for multi-view image acquisition and 3D reconstruction in minimally invasive surgery

  3. 2022 · International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery (IPCAI 2022)

    Deep learning-based plane pose regression in obstetric ultrasound

    AURIS/IPCAI Young Investigator Travel Award, 1st placeCited by 25: Deep learning-based plane pose regression in obstetric ultrasound

Filter papers:

Showing all 13 papers

2026

  1. Measuring proximity to standard planes during fetal brain ultrasound scanning

    IEEE Transactions on Medical ImagingUnder review arXiv: Measuring proximity to standard planes during fetal brain ultrasound scanning Cited by 4: Measuring proximity to standard planes during fetal brain ultrasound scanning

    C. Di Vece, A. Cirigliano, M. Le Lous, R. Napolitano, A. L. David, D. Peebles, P. Jannin, F. Vasconcelos, D. Stoyanov

  2. HyKey: hyperspectral keypoint detection and matching in minimally invasive surgery

    International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery (IPCAI 2026) Paper: HyKey: hyperspectral keypoint detection and matching in minimally invasive surgery arXiv: HyKey: hyperspectral keypoint detection and matching in minimally invasive surgery Code: HyKey: hyperspectral keypoint detection and matching in minimally invasive surgery

    A. Saikia, C. Di Vece, Z. Mao, S. Bonilla, C. He, J. Ramalhinho, T. Czempiel, S. Bano, D. Stoyanov

  3. A multicentre benchmark dataset for comprehensive landmark-based fetal ultrasound biometry

    Scientific Reports Paper: A multicentre benchmark dataset for comprehensive landmark-based fetal ultrasound biometry Data: A multicentre benchmark dataset for comprehensive landmark-based fetal ultrasound biometry Code: A multicentre benchmark dataset for comprehensive landmark-based fetal ultrasound biometry Cited by 12: A multicentre benchmark dataset for comprehensive landmark-based fetal ultrasound biometry

    C. Di Vece, Z. Mao, N. Avisdris, B. Dromey, R. Napolitano, D. Ben Bashat, F. Vasconcelos, D. Stoyanov, L. Joskowicz, S. Bano

2025

  1. Robotic arm platform for multi-view image acquisition and 3D reconstruction in minimally invasive surgery

    IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters Paper: Robotic arm platform for multi-view image acquisition and 3D reconstruction in minimally invasive surgery arXiv: Robotic arm platform for multi-view image acquisition and 3D reconstruction in minimally invasive surgery Cited by 9: Robotic arm platform for multi-view image acquisition and 3D reconstruction in minimally invasive surgery

    A. Saikia, C. Di Vece, S. Bonilla, C. He, M. Magbagbeola, L. Mennillo, T. Czempiel, S. Bano, D. Stoyanov

  2. Mismatched: evaluating the limits of image matching approaches and benchmarks

    ECCV 2024 Workshops Paper: Mismatched: evaluating the limits of image matching approaches and benchmarks arXiv: Mismatched: evaluating the limits of image matching approaches and benchmarks Code: Mismatched: evaluating the limits of image matching approaches and benchmarks Cited by 12: Mismatched: evaluating the limits of image matching approaches and benchmarks

    S. Bonilla*, C. Di Vece*, R. Daher*, X. Ju*, D. Stoyanov, F. Vasconcelos, S. Bano

2024

  1. Probe motion during mid-trimester fetal anomaly scan in the clinical setting: a prospective observational study

    European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology Paper: Probe motion during mid-trimester fetal anomaly scan in the clinical setting: a prospective observational study

    M. Le Lous, F. Vasconcelos, C. Di Vece, B. Dromey, R. Napolitano, S. Yoo, E. Edwards, A. Huaulme, D. Peebles, D. Stoyanov, P. Jannin

2023

  1. Ultrasound plane pose regression: assessing generalized pose coordinates in the fetal brain

    IEEE Transactions on Medical Robotics and Bionics Paper: Ultrasound plane pose regression: assessing generalized pose coordinates in the fetal brain Cited by 8: Ultrasound plane pose regression: assessing generalized pose coordinates in the fetal brain

    C. Di Vece, M. Le Lous, B. Dromey, F. Vasconcelos, A. L. David, D. Peebles, D. Stoyanov

2022

  1. Deep learning-based plane pose regression towards training in freehand obstetric ultrasound

    Hamlyn Symposium on Medical Robotics Paper: Deep learning-based plane pose regression towards training in freehand obstetric ultrasound Cited by 1: Deep learning-based plane pose regression towards training in freehand obstetric ultrasound

    C. Di Vece, B. Dromey, F. Vasconcelos, A. L. David, D. Peebles, D. Stoyanov

  2. Deep learning-based plane pose regression in obstetric ultrasound

    International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery (IPCAI 2022)AURIS/IPCAI Young Investigator Travel Award, 1st place Paper: Deep learning-based plane pose regression in obstetric ultrasound Cited by 25: Deep learning-based plane pose regression in obstetric ultrasound

    C. Di Vece, B. Dromey, F. Vasconcelos, A. L. David, D. Peebles, D. Stoyanov

2021

  1. Position-based dynamics simulator of brain deformations for path planning and intra-operative control in keyhole neurosurgery

    IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (IROS 2021) Paper: Position-based dynamics simulator of brain deformations for path planning and intra-operative control in keyhole neurosurgery Cited by 24: Position-based dynamics simulator of brain deformations for path planning and intra-operative control in keyhole neurosurgery

    A. Segato*, C. Di Vece*, S. Zucchelli, M. Di Marzo, T. Wendler, M. F. Azampour, S. Galvan, R. Secoli, E. De Momi

  2. Psychomotor skills development for Veress needle placement using a virtual reality and haptics-based simulator

    International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery Paper: Psychomotor skills development for Veress needle placement using a virtual reality and haptics-based simulator Cited by 31: Psychomotor skills development for Veress needle placement using a virtual reality and haptics-based simulator

    C. Di Vece, C. Luciano, E. De Momi

2019

  1. GLOS: GLOve for speech recognition

    IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Conference (EMBC) Paper: GLOS: GLOve for speech recognition Cited by 9: GLOS: GLOve for speech recognition

    G. Crocioni*, C. Di Vece*, H. Esmailbeigi

2017

  1. BIE-PInCS: brain injury evaluation with pupillometer based on infrared camera system

    IEEE Forum on Research and Technologies for Society and Industry (RTSI) Paper: BIE-PInCS: brain injury evaluation with pupillometer based on infrared camera system Cited by 3: BIE-PInCS: brain injury evaluation with pupillometer based on infrared camera system

    F. Bracco*, C. Di Vece*, L. Cerina, M. D. Santambrogio

* Equal contribution. Citation counts refresh weekly from Google Scholar.

Talks and reviewing

Looking for a speaker, reviewer or committee member?

Email an invitation

The speaker-kit photo: Chiara Di Vece, head and shoulders

Speaker kit

Chiara Di Vece builds real-time perception for things that move, from ultrasound probes to soft robots. Chiara is AI Lead at morph and holds a PhD in Computer Science from UCL.

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  1. Mar 2025

    FETUS: Freehand Echographic Training for Ultrasound System

    Invited presenter Innovation in Women's Health Tech 2025, Impact Hub London

    • Chiara speaking into a microphone while presenting FETUS at Innovation in Women's Health Tech 2025, Impact Hub London
  2. Jul 2022

    Deep reinforcement learning-based guidance in freehand obstetric ultrasound training

    Invited presenter Women in Medical Image Understanding and Analysis (WiMIUA), University of Cambridge

  3. May 2020

    Embodiment of AI: how robots can interpret environment information and act

    Lecturer and organiser PhD Spring School, Università della Calabria

  4. Feb 2020

    Theralight: lightwave technologies for theranostics of tumours

    Invited speaker SharedCity: Innovation, Participation and Sustainability in Cities of the Future, Milan

15+ peer reviews

Outstanding Reviewer Award, IPCAI 2024, top 7% of reviewers

Reviewer for IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, Medical Image Analysis, MICCAI, CVPR, ECCV, ICRA, IROS, IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, IPCAI, IJCARS, IEEE Access, EMBC

Experience

Where the work began, and where it is now.

Industry

  1. Oct 2024 – PresentWhere the work is now.Now

    AI Lead and Founding Applied Scientist

    morph

    Leading AI development at a stealth-stage soft robotics startup, with a focus on computer vision, physical AI, robotics and AI agents.

  2. Jan 2023 – Jan 2025

    AI Researcher

    AI SuitUpRemote (Albuquerque, US)

    What I did at AI SuitUp

    Research and prototyping for generative AI headshots. Optimised face detection, alignment and style transfer pipelines across diverse demographics, and cut inference time for web-scale deployment.

  3. Jun 2023 – Sep 2023

    Software Engineer Intern, Deep Learning Algorithms

    MathWorksCambridge, UK

    Extended the Deep Learning Toolbox with a differentiable sort, fully supported by the automatic differentiation engine, so users can build custom layers that sort.

Research and teaching

  1. Sep 2020 – Jan 2025 (studentship) · Jan 2025 – Feb 2026 (writing up, completing research status)Where the work began.

    PhD Researcher and Teaching Assistant

    University College London

    Sole researcher on the AI-guided fetal brain ultrasound line in the Surgical Robot Vision group and UCL Hawkes Institute, supervised by Danail Stoyanov and Francisco Vasconcelos. Took sensorless 6D plane pose estimation from first principles to a real-time navigation pipeline (3 ms latency) on NVIDIA's Clara AGX clinical platform, with NVIDIA's Holoscan team. TA for Reinforcement Learning (with Google DeepMind), Robotic Systems, Machine Learning and Mathematical Modelling.

  2. Mar 2020 – Sep 2020

    Research Intern

    Politecnico di Milano, NEARLabMilan, Italy

    What I did at Politecnico di Milano, NEARLab

    NeuroEngineering and Medical Robotics Lab, EU project EDEN2020. Built a real-time, position-based dynamics simulator of brain deformation for keyhole neurosurgery in Unity, validated against in-vivo animal data (mean mismatch 4.73 ± 2.15%). Published in IEEE RA-L and presented at IROS.

  3. Jan 2019 – May 2019

    Graduate Researcher and Teaching Assistant

    University of Illinois ChicagoChicago, US

    What I did at University of Illinois Chicago

    Developed a haptics and VR simulator for Veress needle insertion training, rated "good" on the System Usability Scale by experienced clinicians. TA for Biological Systems Analysis.

Education

  • PhD in Computer Science University College London, 2020 – 2026 Thesis: Real-time deep learning-based plane pose estimation and navigation in freehand fetal brain ultrasound
  • Licensed Industrial Engineer Italy, 2021 Professional licence to practise
  • Alta Scuola Politecnica Politecnico di Milano and Politecnico di Torino, 2017 – 2020 Top 1% honours programme, diploma with merit
  • MSc Biomedical Engineering Politecnico di Milano, 2017 – 2019 Summa cum laude. Double degree with UIC and Politecnico di Torino
  • MSc Bioengineering University of Illinois Chicago, 2018 – 2019 GPA 4.00/4.00, summa cum laude
  • BSc Biomedical Engineering Politecnico di Milano, 2014 – 2017 Thesis: FPGA-based brain injury evaluation through pupillometry

Awards

15 competitive awards, plus 3 degree honours.

  1. 2025 Women's Health Tech Grant, top 3 projectLondon, UK
  2. 2024 Outstanding Reviewer Award, IPCAITop 7% of reviewers. Barcelona, Spain · The review record
  3. 2024 Women's Health Tech GrantUCL EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account, £5,000
  4. 2022 AURIS/IPCAI Young Investigator Travel Award 1st placeTokyo, Japan
  5. 2022 Women in MICCAI Inspirational Leadership Legacy 1st placeSingapore
  6. 2022 Invited IJCARS journal paperSelected from the best papers of IPCAI 2022
  7. 2022 Microsoft/MathWorks WiMIUA Best Poster 2nd placeCambridge, UK
  8. 2021 Best group project, UCL MedICSS 1st placeLondon, UK · Slides: Best group project, UCL MedICSS, 18 slides · PDF: slides for Best group project, UCL MedICSS
  9. 2020 UCL Research StudentshipDepartment of Computer Science
  10. 2020 Alta Scuola Politecnica, top 3 thesis projectsTurin, Italy
  11. 2019 Rare Disease Hackathon 3rd placeFlorence, Italy
  12. 2019 MSc with honours HonourPolitecnico di Milano and Politecnico di Torino
  13. 2018 IEEE Computer Society Lance Stafford Larson Writing Award 3rd placeundergraduate competition
  14. 2018 MSc with honours HonourUniversity of Illinois Chicago
  15. 2017 Rare Disease Hackathon 1st placeFlorence, Italy
  16. 2017 IEEE RTSI Young Professional Demo Competition 1st placeModena, Italy
  17. 2017 Xilinx Open Hardware Contest FinalistDublin, Ireland
  18. 2017 Admitted to Alta Scuola Politecnica HonourTop 1% of students at PoliMi and PoliTo

Teaching and mentoring

  • COMP0089 Reinforcement Learning UCL, taught with Google DeepMind
  • COMP0037 Robotic Systems UCL
  • COMP0088 Introduction to Machine Learning UCL
  • ENGF0003 Mathematical Modelling and Analysis UCL
  • BME310 Biological Systems Analysis University of Illinois Chicago

2022 – Present

Research Mentor, Lumiere Education

Thirteen high school and undergraduate mentees guided from research question to paper, five of them published or accepted, including at the International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction.

2020 – 2024

Graduate Research Advisor, UCL and Politecnico di Milano

Advised eight MSc, visiting and summer students on ultrasound pose estimation, haptic ultrasound simulators, clinical video tracking and surgical teleoperation.

Community

4 roles
  • PhD Students Representative UCL Hawkes Institute 2021 – 2025
  • Volunteer Mentor Alta Scuola Politecnica 2021 – Present
  • Executive Board, IEEE Women in Engineering Politecnico di Milano 2018 – 2020
  • Volunteer Tutor San Filippo Neri Association 2016 – 2018

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