Diagnosis and hope
COLONIE — It began as homework and a way to pass a class, but it swiftly transformed into research with the objective of changing and saving lives. Hridaanshu Gusain, a senior at Shaker High School, is bringing his cancer research to the attention of the world’s most elite scientific minds, paving the way for diagnosis and hope.
Over the past two years, Gusain has created a computer program that can analyze human tissue and immediately produce a prediction that can be used by a pathologist for a high-accuracy diagnosis within several hours.
“I’ve seen people around me who have had cancer, and they’ve gone through the process of diagnosis between going to the doctor and the pathologist,” said Gusain. “It’s taken multiple weeks— 6 to 12 weeks— to get the diagnosis. In that time, their cancer expedites itself and grows rapidly,” said Gusain.
In 10th grade, Gusain used what he learned from Linear Algebra and Calculus 3 and applied it to his knowledge of neural networks. Then, in 11th and 12th grade, he integrated his knowledge into the new field of hyperspectral imaging. In just over two years, the project can now identify nuclei with about 85% accuracy.
Recently, Gusain presented at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) System’s Council Conference for Collegiate Students. As a high school senior, Gusain was accepted to this prestigious conference and was the only high school student invited to present.
With the encouragement of his mentors, Gusain applied to be in the conference. Speakers gathered from around the world, including India, Africa, England, and Brazil. “I was the only high school presenter, so they chose for me to go last,” recalled Gusain. He presented virtually at the conference, as he was simultaneously finishing his AP Exams.
Despite often finding himself as the youngest person in the room, Gusain is not intimidated. “It’s an interesting experience,” he mused. “Whenever I read these research papers and articles to study the concepts that I’m learning, they’re all published by people who have way more qualifications than me— PHDs, graduates, adults who are in the industry.”
However, the age difference between himself and his fellow researchers can have its own unique challenges. ”When I go to contact someone, a researcher, they sometimes assume that I know less,” he admitted. “When I tell someone that I’m researching this, they generally can’t believe that I’m doing what I’m doing.”
Even Gusain himself couldn’t have predicted how the project has transformed. “It started out just as a research project to get a grade in school to get through the class. As we progressed through it, we found the results to be extremely promising,” said Gusain.
“The technology is there,” he added. “We’ve developed the neural network to the point where it’s 80% accurate, and through that, we can expedite the speed of a cancer diagnosis. With that, we’re able to improve the overall quality and validity of a cancer diagnosis.”
Gusain’s path of research had not started with studying cancer; he began by researching battery technologies in electric cars. However, Gusain did not find the work fulfilling and had his attention diverted to Professor Lalit K. Mestha, who was conducting his own research— an analysis on how LED lights on the forehead can detect atrial fibrillation.
Gusain found the work fascinating, which inspired him to reach out to him. After they met, Mestha saw the project’s potential. Now, Mestha and Gusian’s other mentor, Nathaniel Covert, have their overarching knowledge guide Gusain’s research as they collaborate.
Once they discovered that this technology worked, they expanded the research and built it to evolve; the more data that it is fed, the more the project will grow. The realization that the project could have real-world impacts was something that unfolded gradually for Gusain as he spent hours analyzing the material.
“It was really exciting to me,” recalled Gusain. “I remember walking home from my mentor’s house, and I was jumping up and down— ‘Wow, this is working; this is crazy’. And I remember that moment being one thing, but overall it has been a steady increase in accuracy and promise.”
His observations were what fueled him through the whole process. “I’ve seen technology being introduced into the field utilizing lower-level technology that I’ve developed. I saw a way to improve that. My mentor guided me through this process and showed me techniques that we could use to improve it,” he added.
The journey toward making his research accessible for everyone is just beginning. As of right now, his research has to undergo more validation and have the hard statistics published. The health industry is rigorous with the regulations of what is permitted to go into medical offices. “That is the overall goal, which will be coming in the next 4 to 10 years, hopefully,” said Gusain.
Gusain plans to continue the project in college, where he will be studying computer engineering and computer science at the University of Illinois. In the meantime, his project has the opportunity for expansive internal study, and he will be continuing to present it at upcoming events, including another conference next year in Greece.
“I’m a firm believer that human health is the most important thing,” said Gusain. “Even if we’re able to fly or live on other planets, it’s extremely difficult to progress human society without human health. It’s an extremely important baseline, which is what I’m trying to contribute to.”
“If you have an opportunity to donate to cancer research or cancer development, it’s extremely helpful for all the researchers in the field,” he added.
