An unforgettable success at the RecSys 2024 in Bari

A field report by Felix Reinsch

The trip to the 18th ACM Conference on Recommender Systems (RecSys) in Bari will remain unforgettable for me - an impressive city, an inspiring scientific environment and the crowning of my contribution with the Best Paper Award. The picturesque streets of Bari, the intense blue of the Adriatic Sea and the lively atmosphere of the conference provided the perfect backdrop for me to immerse myself in the world of digital health systems with leading researchers and gain new impetus in the sixth workshop on Health Recommender Systems.

A special honor: Award for my paper "Tailoring Health"

It was an honor to present my paper "Tailoring Health: Contextual Variables in Health Recommender Systems" as lead author - a project I put months of work into. Receiving the Best Paper Award was a moving moment, recognizing not only the importance of research in personalized healthcare, but also the dedication of the team and the support of my university. This recognition encourages me to continue researching how contextual variables can improve the accuracy and effectiveness of health recommendations.

The workshop: Stimuli for the future of digital health systems

The workshop on Health Recommender Systems offered a wealth of exciting insights. Discussions ranged from the importance of artificial intelligence to the application of machine learning to promote healthier behaviors and prevent non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. Amidst leading experts and inspiring conversations, I gained deeper insights and was able to reflect on the numerous opportunities that data-driven systems offer for healthcare.

Thanks to TU Dresden and outlook

Without the generous support of TU Dresden's FOSTER program, this trip would not have been possible. The Student Academic Travel Award enabled me to fully fund the conference trip and presentation of my paper. It was an important opportunity to present my work to an international audience and to make valuable contacts in the scientific community.

With this experience, I return highly motivated to deepen the findings from my research and invest in new projects. RecSys 2024 in Bari opened my eyes not only personally but also academically and showed me how my work can contribute to the future of personalized healthcare systems.