Ali Nasseri

Dr. Ali Nasseri is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Engineering. He also serves as the founding director of the Medical Autonomy and Precision Surgery (MAPS) Laboratory at the School of Medicine and Health of the Technical University of Munich. With over 15 years of experience in medical and surgical robotics, Dr. Nasseri leads research initiatives at TUM, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Alberta, coordinating multiple large-scale collaborative projects funded by BMBF, BFS, and NIH.

Dr. Nasseri's research focuses on surgical robotics, medical AI, medical imaging, medical XR, and medical autonomy. His multidisciplinary background in mechatronics, computer vision, machine intelligence, and medicine has led to a focused research program on surgical autonomy and intelligent robotic interventions. He is a pioneer in robotic eye surgery and has published more than 140 peer-reviewed articles in these fields. His recent work focuses on utilizing AI and real-time multimodal perception to implement surgical workflow autonomy—enabling robotic systems to adapt seamlessly to intraoperative complexity.

His publications over the past few years demonstrate a strong trend toward increasing autonomy in ophthalmic surgery, with particular emphasis on AI-driven solutions, precision control systems, and real-time monitoring for safety. The research spans multiple subfields including retinal surgery, corneal procedures, surgical planning, and instrument tracking, with a consistent focus on improving surgical outcomes through technological innovation.

• best paper awards

As co-founder of two medical robotics startups, Dr. Nasseri is actively engaged in translational research bridging laboratory innovation and clinical deployment. He directs the largest medical robotics project currently funded by the Bavarian Research Foundation and several industry-backed initiatives, demonstrating strong connections between academic research and industry applications.

Dr. Nasseri leads the Medical Autonomy and Precision Surgery (MAPS) Laboratory at TUM, which focuses on developing intelligent robotic systems for surgical applications. The lab brings together experts from engineering, computer science, and medicine to tackle challenges in surgical robotics, with particular expertise in ophthalmic procedures.