Instructor Swathi Iyer Uses Advanced Computer Vision Techniques to Improve Medical Diagnoses Techniques and Broaden Health Access Worldwide

Swathi Iyer is a current Master’s student at Stanford University, where she studies Computer Science. Lately, she has been working with a medical imaging lab at Stanford, where she harnesses computer vision to improve patient care.

What excites you most about AI in medicine?

Swathi Iyer (SI): “So far, it's been super exciting to learn about the latest computer vision techniques, while knowing that my work is going towards improving patient care, and hopefully making the world a slightly better place! I love it when AI can be used to do some good!”

How did you decide what to study in college? When did AI become a part of your research?

SI: “I had always loved math (number theory, group theory, etc.)! I took a few intro CS and AI classes, since they were "all the rage" at Stanford, and found that AI was a field that allowed me to use these skills in a practical and cutting edge way. I've loved it ever since!”

What would be your advice to students interested in AI, starting their journey in the field?

SI: “For those of you interested in pursuing AI, my advice is to 1) pay attention in math, because it'll save your butt later, and 2) just go for it! There are so many great resources and mentors out there, who can help you learn as much as your heart desires. Take a Coursera course, read a textbook! Reading AI papers and blogs can also be an invaluable way to get comfortable with the field and stay up to date on the coolest new developments. Even if the material seems difficult at first, it will get better the second or third time you see it, and the picture will come together soon enough - we've all been there! If you're in high school, you're already ahead of the game.”

What is your favorite part of teaching AI with Inspirit?

SI: “The highlight of my teaching experience at Inspirit really has been all of the people involved! We have such an amazing teaching team, who have been a blast to work with, and it's so amazing to see so much talent and curiosity in my students. Trust me when I say, I learn as much from the students as they do from me.”

Swathi’s students particularly enjoyed her teaching skills in explaining the complicated AI concepts they were learning.

“One highlight working with Swathi was that she was very helpful in explaining difficult concepts and walking us through each part of the coding process,” says a former student. “Whether it was code that was given to us or code we had to ride, she always had very good explanations to help me when I was confused!”