The TIA Centre at Warwick University hosted a group of 3 high school students who attended the University for a two-week summer placement. During this two week period, the students engaged in computational experiments utilising artificial intelligence (AI) to detect and localise cell nuclei in digitised images of human, plant and animal tissue.

First, the students created their own dataset of 500+ digitised histology images, by taking photos of histology tissue slides using their smartphone attached to a microscope. The students then learnt to apply current AI algorithms to analyse these images, identifying and marking nuclei. To further improve on this, they created their own nuclear annotations to train a deep learning model for nuclear detection. This hands-on experience not only introduced students to cutting-edge AI technology in medical imaging but also emphasised the importance of computational tools in advancing cancer diagnosis and research.

Shrirang said “It was a very interesting field and we were surprised to learn how much of a linkage there is between computer science and health”

Whilst on campus the students also attended TIA Centre Seminars and Lab meetings to further their understanding and knowledge of the work of the Centre. Finally, they also presented their work to colleagues from the TIA Centre.

During their presentation the students were asked about what they had learnt – these are their insights :-

Haadi said "My experience at the University of Warwick TIA Centre taught me the complexities of AI model training and the importance of precise data annotation for accurate results. I gained valuable insights into the challenges of applying AI in real-world biomedical applications and learned the importance of perseverance in scientific research.”

Babar said "Building AI to detect cell nuclei in histology images taught me that while things may not go to plan, if you persevere you can make possible the previously impossible."

Nasir Rajpoot, Director, TIA Centre, Professor Computer Science said “It was lovely to see these talented individuals going from knowing very little about AI or cellular pathology to learning the histology basics, collecting & curating an image dataset and writing their own code for the analysis of images in the dataset. The most rewarding part was the final presentation that the students delivered with such authority, enthusiasm and excitement.”