Biomedical Engineering
david-orlando.grajales-lopera@polymtl.ca
Long title of research paper: Machine learning model combining Raman spectroscopy and imaged-based features to improve situ prostate cancer detection.
Short title of research paper: Using light to confirm cancer in the operating room
Short presentation
I am David Grajales, a Colombian bioengineer, currently in my second year of a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at Polytechnique Montreal.
In my research project, I am combining machine learning, Raman spectroscopy, and medical images for prostate cancer detection; I am working under the supervision of Samuel Kadoury and Cinthia Menard, accompanied by Frederic Leblond, and supported by the Transmedtech institute.
What was your method of explaining your thesis in 3 minutes?
Starting from the main question, what do I want to tell? I begin to select the essential points of my project and look for everyday examples to make it more relatable. As a researcher, I like technicalities and data, but in 3 minutes, I must let go of some of those things to convey the message. However, beyond the main idea, I always hope that people leave with at least one new technical concept.
What inspires you to do research?
Since I was a child, I have been very curious and loved to experiment; science courses for children reinforced this, and years later, the University. For this particular line of research, the project was already established in my research group (MedICAL), which I came to and loved from the first moment, mainly because of the real-life application and the tangible potential impact.
If you have to dedicate your research to anyone in the past, present, or future, who would it be and why?
My research work could be dedicated to the people who have contributed to my being where I am, mainly family/friends and the many professors.
However, talking about work in the health sector, I dedicate it to the people who voluntarily participate in the clinical studies and allow us to develop new tools for them and those who may suffer from the same condition in the future.
3 key words to define your research
Cancer diagnostics, Raman spectroscopy, machine learning
