Emirhan Kurtuluş, a high school student from Istanbul, made it to the prestigious Stanford University in the United States with his artificial intelligence (AI) project that will guide brain surgeons.
The 18-year-old student, who has been working on his project for the past three years, won the top title in the biomedical engineering category at Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Atlanta, Georgia, earlier this month. His project also got Kurtuluş a full scholarship from Stanford University.
The project of Kurtuluş, who attends Cağaloğlu Anatolian High School in Istanbul’s Bahçelievler district, involves magnetic resonance (MR) images processed and delivered to a three-dimensional system, guiding the surgeons in brain surgeries. Through augmented reality glasses, surgeons can also rehearse the surgery.
Kurtuluş said he always wanted to be a brain surgeon, and while working on an engineering project, he decided to convey his newfound expertise into the field. "I have a deep curiosity for brain surgery and am interested in artificial intelligence. So, I wanted to combine the two fields. I researched AI use in surgeries and found out that there were no comprehensive AI systems used in such surgeries. I wanted to be the first in this field," he told Demirören News Agency (DHA) on Wednesday.
His work presents a surgery plan with “minimum damage risk.” It allows doctors to examine different sections of the brain and check for tumors in a better way.
Kurtuluş said it was his grandfather who sparked his interest in science. "Since I was a child, he motivated me in scientific fields. We always used to talk about science."
The student looks forward to studying in the United States but adds that he wants to return to Turkey once he completes his studies. "I want to serve my country. I want to improve the lives of people by using AI," he said. Kurtuluş's other ambition is to establish a technology company and, at the same time, pursue an academic career.
