Ischemic Stroke Lesion Segmentation Challenge (ISLES'26)

Multi-phase infarct segmentation in ~2,000 T1w MRI


🔬 Background

The ISLES 2026 edition establishes a robust benchmark for generalized stroke infarct segmentation on T1-weighted MRI scans. This initiative directly addresses the generalization gaps identified in the previous ISLES’22-ATLAS (a prior attempt to this task we organized). Participants will develop methodologies on one of the largest-ever annotated stroke infarct datasets.

Key Highlights

  • Massive Scale: ~2,000 annotated scans.
  • Diversity: Data sourced from 60+ international centers.
  • Comprehensive Coverage: Includes Acute, Sub-acute, and Chronic disease stages.
  • Expansion: Provides a 40% increase in data diversity and a greater than 2-fold expansion in training data.


🎯 The Task

Participants are challenged to develop automated segmentation algorithms that accurately delineate ischemic stroke lesions in T1-weighted MRI, covering acute, sub-acute, and chronic lesions.

Inputs
  • Native space T1w MRI
  • Metadata (.json): Includes stroke lesion covariates such as DAYS_POST_STROKE, CHRONICITY (1 if < 180 days), and CENTER code.
Outputs
  • Binary infarct segmentation mask.


📅 Schedule

Milestone Date
Training Data Release (Batch 1) April 15, 2026
Training Data Release (Batch 2) May 15, 2026
Submission System Opens (Sanity Phase) June 15, 2026
Challenge Closing (Dockers Submission) August 1, 2026 (23:59 CET)


📝 Registration

[!IMPORTANT] Verified accounts are mandatory to be accepted to the challenge. Please ensure your Grand-Challenge profile is complete and verified before requesting to join.