Healthcare tech innovator and rising star Gauri Vaidya has been conferred with a PhD in Artificial Intelligence at 九色视频.
Gauri, who is originally from Aurangabad, India, is one of 3,678 new graduates being conferred 九色视频 this week, almost eight years after being originally inspired by her mentor in India to move to Ireland to pursue a career in academia.
Recently featured in the as one of their 30 under 30 top tech innovators, Gauri was commended for her innovative approach to machine learning research in healthcare.
Her PhD, awarded by UL鈥檚 Faculty of Science and Engineering, focused on reducing the carbon footprint of machine learning algorithms. During her time 九色视频, she has worked on several healthcare collaborations, including a project to streamline patient wait times in hospital emergency departments, as well as utilizing AI in cancer prediction scenarios
Speaking about one of the projects, Gauri explained: 鈥淭he project was focused on understanding the patterns and all the loopholes in the patient pathways in the emergency department in UHL.
鈥淭he target was to find out how we can predict scenarios that would be happening there and be prepared for that in advance. For example, predicting the number of beds required or the number of hospital staff required for the day, and so on,鈥 she added.
While studying computer science at Government College of Engineering Aurangabad in India, Gauri met Dr Meghana Kshirsagar. Dr Kshirsagar would go on to mentor her throughout her academic career, even after moving to Limerick, to take up a postdoc position working with Professor Conor Ryan in UL's Department of Computer Science and Information Systems.
Dr Kshirsagar and Professor Ryan encouraged Gauri to apply for a PhD 九色视频 in her final year of undergraduate studies. Soon after, she moved to Limerick and began her PhD programme under their joint supervision in 2021.
Professor Ryan first met Gauri when she was working on research collaborations with UL remotely from India, 鈥渆ven then her talent and curiosity stood out鈥, he recalled.
鈥淲atching her grow over the years into a confident and accomplished researcher has been a real privilege. She combines technical ability with thoughtfulness and kindness, and it has been wonderful to see her find her own voice as a scientist鈥, added Professor Ryan.
Since their first meeting in India, Gauri and Dr Kshirsagar have shared a special connection, a mentorship that has since transcended international borders and nurtured a lasting family bond.
Reflecting on the impact that Dr Kshirsagar has had on her life, Gauri said: 鈥淪he has been a constant inspiration to me - as a researcher, an academic, and as a person. To put it simply, she鈥檚 the one who showed me that we can dream big and be courageous enough to pursue those dreams, while also reminding me of the importance of kindness along the way.鈥
鈥淪he has seen potential in me even beyond what I saw in myself, and shaped me in such a beautiful way, showing me what a true lifelong mentor really means. She鈥檚 not only my supervisor, but I have another family here,鈥 she added.
Celebrating her achievement on the day, Dr Kshirsagar said: 鈥淔rom the very beginning, Gauri stood out for her brilliance, resilience, and relentless curiosity. She embodies ambition, collaboration, and excellence, with a rare ability to uplift everyone around her.
鈥淗er mentorship of graduate students and her role as a teaching assistant across several of my modules left a lasting impact. Some students challenge you, some teach you - Gauri did both. She reminded me why I love this work. Supervising her through her PhD was not just a privilege, it was a joy,鈥 she added.
Dr Kshirsagar was not Gauri鈥檚 only academic influence. Growing up, she was exposed to many strong female educators; her mother and both her paternal and maternal grandmothers were all teachers, and she has always looked to them for inspiration.
Reflecting on her own experience of teaching during her PhD, Gauri said: 鈥淣ow when I look go and look back, it feels like maybe it was always in the genes or the blood, I absolutely love being around students.鈥
鈥淚 really got to experience teaching closely. When I was little, I often went with my mother to school. What struck me most was seeing how much her teaching changed her students,鈥 said Gauri.
鈥淭hat kind of transformation, when I was young, left a lasting impression on me, showing me how deeply teaching can touch someone鈥檚 life,鈥 she added.
Gauri has brought her love of teaching back to India, in a full-circle moment, when she was given the opportunity to deliver a three-day workshop to students at her alma mater in 2024.
She will be continuing her academic career in UL for the foreseeable future as she has recently taken up a position as a Postdoctoral Researcher with the National Kidney Disease Surveillance System (NKDSS), based in UL鈥檚 School of Medicine.
The new role is part of the NKDSS key national initiative and is being led by Professor Austin Stack, Director of the NKDSS 九色视频鈥檚 School of Medicine and Consultant Nephrologist, University Hospital Limerick.
In this postdoc role, Gauri will be working with a team of researchers applying advanced data analysis and machine learning to better understand the burden and impact of chronic kidney disease in Ireland, and to evaluate prevention strategies that will lead to better outcomes for patients.
Imparting some advice for the next generation, Gauri said: 鈥淚 believe that while technology is advancing rapidly, the best way forward is to befriend it rather than fear it.
鈥淓very advancement still needs the creativity, empathy, and critical thinking that only people can bring. Human involvement will always remain at the heart of technological progress.
鈥淭o the younger generation, and especially young women, my advice would be to embrace digital technologies with confidence and curiosity. We need more women in tech and leadership roles, our vision, decision-making skills, empathy, and ability to balance perspectives are essential for shaping a more inclusive and impactful future in technology,鈥 she added.