Few would deny that healthcare is fundamental to the existence of us all. Advances in medicine and healthcare are therefore not only essential for the well-being of individuals, but also a direct prerequisite of societal progress. Quantum technologies have and will play a major role in this process. Our Medical Quantum Wonderland offers an artful way to learn how quantum properties are already employed in medical diagnostics and what current research proposes to further improve this. Immerse yourself in our interactive exhibition and join us for our fight against the malignant Queen of Hearts. At the end, we encourage you to take a peek through the looking glass and reflect upon possible futures of quantum medicine with us.
Don't be afraid to turn mad, all the best people are!

Welcome To The Rabbithole

XPANSE 2024 offers us the unique opportunity to showcase our artful explorations of quantum technology in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for cancer diagnostics. We invite visitors to join us for an interactive quest against the Queen of Hearts, an allegory for a malignant tumor.

Spin and 1st Generation MRI

Spin is a quantum property of particles, comparable to a tiny magnetic field, that causes the particles to interact with external magnetic fields. In MRI, this property is harnessed by aligning the spins of particles in different body tissues using a strong magnetic field. When the magnetic moments of these spins are aligned, they create a collective magnetic moment, maximizing the signal strength detected by the MRI. Exposure to radiofrequency pulses excites these spins, and as they relax back to their aligned state (relaxation), they release energy at rates unique to different tissues. By measuring these distinct excitation and relaxation times, MRI generates contrast between tissues, enabling detailed imaging of the body’s internal structures (cf. Technical University of Munich, 2022).

Among The Spheres

The Rabbithole serves as an exploration space in which visitors can experience the quantum basis of MRI first hand. Across the room, hanging spheres with magnetic particles await to be excited and aligned by visitors. Instead of automated radiofrequency pulses, visitors can apply the external magnetic field themselves by holding magnets to the spheres.
The centerpiece in this first part of our exhibition are three magic potions from which visitors are supposed to choose. Each of these potions represents a different state of advancement in diagnostic imaging. Consequently, they promise varying degrees of success in identifying malignant tissue and thus in the fight against the Queen of Hearts. The most powerful weapon is the Golden Potion. Visitors can base their quest for this potion on a multi-sensory experience. While aligned particles at the bottom of the potions showcase differences in image resolution, those divergences in signal clarity are mirrored by audio snippets. Visitors can play these via buttons next to the corresponding potions, setting off either disorienting noise, a melody played by an orchestra, or a melody played by a single instrument. After making their choice, we invite visitors to discover the consequences of their decision for our joint mission against the Queen of Hearts.

Curious Awakening

Welcome to the Curios Awakening. This second part of our exhibition is all about creating clarity. Visitors can explore how well their chosen potion/technology can detect malignant tissue. Afterwards we invite everyone to contribute to the creation of our unique XPANSE Quantum Cheshire Cat.

The Golden Potion: Parahydrogen

Tumors are sometimes difficult to detect by classical 1st generation MRI due to weak spin alignment and thus limited signal strength. To overcome this, researchers have developed a technique called hyperpolarization, commonly referred to as 2nd generation MRI, that exploits a characteristic of malignant tissue. Tumors need high energy to survive, consuming large amounts of pyruvate and converting it into lactate. This metabolic activity can be detected through hyperpolarization using parahydrogen. The special magnetic form of hydrogen’s unique spin configuration can be transferred to carbon-13 atoms in pyruvate. Thereby, the MRI signal of pyruvate and its lactate product are substantially amplified. Hyperpolarization with parahydrogen provides a powerful "quantum boost" that allows MRI to pinpoint and monitor tumors with unprecedented clarity, helping to diagnose and target malignant tissue effectively (cf. Technical University of Munich, 2022).

Peeking Beyond The Veil

The Queen of Hearts is a cunning opponent, which is why it is difficult to oppose her with conventional strategies. Our immense wall of truth elucidates this. The different potions represent no MRI technology, 1st generation MRI and 2nd generation MRI using parahydrogen respectively. While the first two produce either a very blurry image or a mere representation of the brain, the last one enables visitors to also detect a tumor amidst the healthy tissue. Parahydrogen is the Golden Potion, containing the quantum boost necessary to face the Queen of Hearts.
At XPANSE, we want to capture the joint effort of our visitors by bringing our Quantum Cheshire Cat to life, an important ally in the fight against the Queen of Hearts. Depending on the potion they chose in the Rabbithole, visitors will pull colored cotton balls from corresponding sachets and pin them to the cat statue. Our Quantum Cheshire Cat thereby becomes a unique piece of artwork, monitoring our joint success in exposing the malignant opponent in real-time.

Through The Looking Glass

The last part of our exhibition abstracts from the field of medical diagnostics and takes a broader look at the opportunities and challenges of using quantum technologies and computing for medicine and health care. We encourage visitors to join us for a peek through the looking glass and to share their opinion on possible future scenarios for quantum-driven medical applications.

UHC and Quantum

Universal Health Coverage (UHC) aims to ensure that all people have access to quality health services without suffering financial hardship (cf. WHO, 2023). First put forward by the World Health Organization in 2005, UHC’s importance has been discussed continuously on the world’s biggest stages, among which are G7 and G20 summits as well as several High-Level Meetings of the United Nations General Assembly (cf. World Health Assembly, 2005). In 2015, UHC gained further significance by becoming part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, specifically in Target 3.8, to promote equity in healthcare access by 2030. Four years later UHC was recognized as a prerequisite and indicator for multiple other SDGs such as « No Poverty » (Target 1), « Gender Equality » (Target 5) and « Decent Work and Economic Growth » (Target 8) (cf. UNGA, 2019). Even though the UHC Service Coverage Index increased significantly during the past two decades, the world is still far from reaching UHC by 2030 (cf. WHO, 2022). While the international community reaffirms the urgency to accelerate actions, it does not emphasize the potential of technological innovation. Against this backdrop, we explore the transformative force of quantum medicine for Universal Health Coverage.

Chasing Time With The White Rabbit

Quantum medicine has made meaningful strides, but a multifaceted race against time has refrained it from reaching its full potential. National regulations, disjointed efforts, and costly research have led to a fragmented quantum future (cf. Shams et al. 2023; Bisiani et al., 2023). Existing infrastructure could already be used to a greater extent with hybrid quantum solutions, but this is not being fully exploited (cf. Bisiani, 2023; Siliezar, 2020). Quantum tech in medicine remains valuable but the costs of advancements tend to exceed their benefits. The complex nature of the unrestrained "quantum arms race" has left global healthcare short of true transformation.

A Land Beyond The Looking Glass

We did it! Interdisciplinary international cooperation created an environment in which quantum technologies could unfold their transformative force for good. This was made possible by protein sequencing and protein folding through quantum computing. The ability to sense rare diseases, allowing them be healed has led to an increased quality of life in the majority world (cf. Rasool et al., 2023). Moreover, international responsiveness to pandemic situations improved significantly through the quicker genome sequencing of viruses, eg. facilitating international cooperation and strengthening crisis resilience (cf. Rasool et al., 2023). Since the world committed to an ethical pathway of quantum medicine, centered around patient well-being and accessibility, people all around the world are profiting from more rapid and accurate diagnoses, as well as tailor-made treatment plans (cf. Shams et al., 2023; Rasool et al., 2023; Pflitsch, 2022). Last but not least, the ability to reach people in remote places does not jeopardize their sensitive data, thanks to the widespread implementation of quantum encrypted telemedicine (cf. Shams et al., 2023; Rasool et al., 2023). A courageous joint effort to accelerate quantum technologies in medicine allowed us a glimpse into a future where UHC is a reality.

Wandering Off Opposite Paths In The Tulgey Wood

Quantum computing has revolutionized the speed and precision of medical analyses, drug discovery and individual treatment. However, these advancements are only available to people in a few industrialized states. Most of the world’s population is left behind, as the upscaling of quantum medicine requires large investments in research and adaptation to existing infrastructure, as well as extensive training of healthcare workers (cf. Shams et al., 2023; Rasool et al., 2023; Bisiani et al., 2023). Quantum supremacy permeates the domain of medicine and further perpetuates existing inequalities in health care coverage.

Contact & Team

This project was part of the seminar “Quantum Social Lab: Art-Driven Innovation with Quantum Technologies”. The seminar took place in the summer semester 2024 in cooperation with XPANSE.

Within the seminar students of different disciplines developed projects showcasing challenges regarding quantum technologies and transferring them into art projects. One project was chosen to be part of XPANSE. This year's winner pitch has been the “Medical Quantum Wonderland”, an Alice in Wonderland inspired installation that playfully conveys how quantum properties can be leveraged for tumor detection and creates a broader vision of quantum applications for the future of medicine.

For further collaborations please contact fabienne.marco@tum.de.

Fabienne Marco

Fabienne Marco has been a doctoral student and research assistant at the Professorship for Governance, Public Policy & Innovative Technologies at the TUM School of Governance since May 2022. Before that, she earned different degrees in Mathematics (B.Sc.), Political Science (B.Sc.), Mathematics in Data Science (M.Sc., ongoing), and Politics &Technology (M.Sc.) at the Technical University of Munich.

Since 2019 she has been working on her doctoral degree in computer science in quantum natural language processing, argumentation mining, and causality at the Group of Social Computing led by Prof. Dr. Georg Groh. Fabienne Marco previously worked on different projects at the Professorship of Political Data Science, including topics in natural language processing and differential privacy.

Since October, she has been advising the Ministerialinkubator Hightech Agenda as a research assistant next to her job at the Professorship. Since September, she has been the head of the Quantum Social Lab at the TUM Think Tank, bringing together her expertise in Natural Science, specifically Mathematics and Political Sciences.

Fabienne's research interests lie in innovation governance of frontier technologies, specifically quantum technologies, science communication, and technological interoperability. At the Professorship, she involves in research projects on quantum innovation cycles, public outreach, and science communication within challenging fields, specifically quantum technologies and AI.

Dr. Philip Pfaller

Philip has been the Innovation Manager at TUM Think Tank since 2022. He works closely with the Think Tank's Research and Innovation Labs and is particularly enthusiastic about supporting the Quantum Social Lab at Expanse, one of his favorite projects.

Eden Castaneira

Eden Castaneira Rios is a senior consultant for the United Nations developing and implementing technological solutions for human rights. He simultaneously works in the German private sector in business and IT consulting services, focusing on innovation and market exploration.

Currently pursuing a master’s degree (M.Sc.) in Politics and Technology, with his Actuarial Science background, he intends to be one bridge between technology, innovation, society, and business. His extensive experience spans international organizations, the private sector, and high-level roles within the Mexican government. This diverse background equips him with a multidisciplinary perspective, which he intends to apply to concrete Quantum promising technologies.

He is passionate about showcasing and driving innovative developments that make use of Quantum Science as enablers of the greater good. His research at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) is dedicated to building frameworks such as ESG and addressing societal questions to enable the development of responsible, efficient, and implementable Quantum Technologies.

Nuria Quesada Pérez

My name is Nuria and I am currently working on my third semester of the Master program Biomedical Engineering and Medical Physics at TUM. Before starting my adventure in Munich, I completed my bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering in Spain, where I come from.

I would describe myself as a positive and curious person that is always looking forward to meet new people and discover different places and cultures. That’s one of the reasons why I decided to continue my studies abroad and one of the motors that led me to join the Youth Quantum Scholarship. I'm very excited to start this new adventure and get to know deeper the project and all my teammates.

Sezin Öztüfek

Sezin Öztüfek is pursuing her Master’s in Politics and Technology at the Technical University of Munich to explore the intersection of technology and societal change. With a Bachelor’s in Information Systems, she developed expertise in natural language processing and machine learning, which deepened her curiosity about their social implications and ethical challenges. Sezin loves exploring how opinions form and fostering conversations on difficult topics. Fascinated by quantum physics and passionate about art, she combines these interests in this project.

Lilli Remmers

Lilli Remmers is pursuing a Master’s degree in Politics and Technology at the Technical University of Munich. With further training in Economics and Intercultural Communication she believes in the importance of bringing together people from diverse backgrounds to address the challenges we face. Throughout her practical experiences, she focused on making complex concepts more accessible and facilitating communication between various stakeholders. As art has a unique explanatory power, Lilli is excited to help bring this quantum project to life and to address the important challenge of our healthcare future.

Rowan Crawford

Rowan Crawford is pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Political Science at the Technical University of Munich. He has a keen passion for interdisciplinary and experimental governance approaches for technology and innovation policy. Through his experience as a Research Assistant at the Quantum Social Lab, Rowan has gained extensive experience in the communication, management, and governance of quantum technology. Rowan is excited to work to ensure stakeholders are equipped to design effective policy, capable of fully harnessing the potential of transformative technologies.

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