NSU Graduate Creates Software That Predicts Breast Cancer Diagnosis with High Accuracy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Anabetsy Rivero

FORT LAUDERDALE/DAVIE, Fla. – Anabetsy Rivero, 29, graduated today from Nova Southeastern University (NSU) with a Masters in Computer Science from the College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), distinguishing herself on two levels. She is an unusual biochemistry graduate who went on to complete a graduate degree in computer science, and Rivero also formed her own company that is developing an artificial intelligence breast cancer screening software.

While working as a biochemist researcher, Rivero said she realized that standard mammograms can often under or over diagnose, resulting at times in unneeded biopsies and other invasive procedures. It was at that time, Rivero said she became interested in developing a more accurate software screening.

“I needed the computer science education to work on my company’s project,” said Rivero, who has an Associate in Arts in Biology from Miami Dade College and a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a minor in Chemistry from University of Miami.

Rivero said her strong interest in medicine can be partially attribute to her father, Nelson Rivero, who was a doctor in Cuba before the family immigrated to Miami. Nelson Rivero, by coincidence, just graduated with a nurse practitioner degree this spring.

“Technology penetrates every aspect of life and more than ever there is an urgent need to advance the application of computing technology including AI in the health field,” said Yong Tao, Ph.D., dean of the College of Engineering and Computing. “Anabetsy is a perfect example of hard science meeting the soft skills of leadership and entrepreneurship that enable our graduates to excel and we are proud that she chose NSU as her path towards success.”

To develop her program, Rivero stated her Miami-based research company Vidu AI, that claims a high accuracy in screening with its artificial intelligence software. Rivero said the company is currently seeking $1 million in investment funding and also to get the software cleared by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

According to the Vidu AI Website, “Vidu AI’s breast cancer diagnosis engine is a cloud-based deep learning engine capable of detecting abnormal patterns in digitized fine needle aspirate images of the breast. Vidu AI’s algorithms were trained on a combination of a well-known breast cancer dataset and clinical data obtain from our collaborators. This combination has allowed a diagnosis accuracy of over 99% in nanoseconds of processing time.”

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About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): Located in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, NSU is ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s Top 200 National Research Universities and is a dynamic, private research university providing high-quality educational and research programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional degree levels. Established in 1964, NSU now includes 16 colleges, the 215,000-square-foot Center for Collaborative Research, a private JK-12 grade school, the Mailman Segal Center for Human Development with specialists in Autism, the world-class NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, and the Alvin Sherman Library, Research and Information Technology Center, which is Florida’s largest public library. NSU has campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, while maintaining a presence online globally. Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is one of only 50 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification, and is also the largest private institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. For more information, please visit www.nova.edu.

About NSU’s College of Engineering and Computing (CEC): Providing educational programs of distinction, CEC prepares students for leadership roles in the engineering, computer science and information systems and cybersecurity fields. With internationally recognized faculty, innovative curricula, and flexible online and campus-based formats for its three Bachelor of Science, four Master of Science, and three Ph.D. programs – CEC’s graduates are sought after around the world. Designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education, their information assurance curriculum is recognized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency. For more information, please visit http://cec.nova.edu.

June 8, 2018

Media Contact:
Kevin Boyd
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kevinboydpr@comcast.net