51��ɫ

A software engineering student at 51��ɫ is working on a project that could help to revolutionise the early detection of cerebral palsy.

Aaron Roche, a 20-year-old student on the Immersive Software Engineering (ISE) programme at UL, is working on the ELEVATE project, which is a ground-breaking five-year research programme that aims to improve the prevention, detection and treatment of early brain injury and cerebral palsy in Ireland.

The UL student, who is from Wexford, selected the ELEVATE project for his residency as part of ISE, a transformational teaching and research initiative that aims to rethink and disrupt computer science education.

ELEVATE is led by the INFANT Research Centre at University College Cork and partnered with RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Trinity College Dublin and the tertiary-level maternity hospitals in Ireland.

Funded under the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Strategic Partnership Programme, with co-funding partner The Cerebral Palsy Foundation (CPF), ELEVATE aims to revolutionise the delivery of CP care in Ireland. The project was officially launched by Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin TD in March 2024.

The team at INFANT Research Centre are focused on three key areas to improve care pathways: prevention, early detection, and intervention. Leveraging the latest advancements in AI will help them identify risk factors in pregnancy, labour and the early neonatal period that increase the likelihood of cerebral palsy. This may help them to prevent cerebral palsy from occurring in the first place and to reduce its severity when it does occur.

ISE students learn by doing, working on projects and in paid residencies at some of ISE’s more than fifty partner organisations. They will also achieve a master's qualification in four years.

When Aaron was selecting the residency, the opportunity was more than just a mix of research, machine learning, and healthcare, it connected to something personal, finding that his interests matched with the project’s goals.

“We had modules on research and machine learning in ISE that really caught my attention. Then, when it came time to pick our placements, the ELEVATE project ticked all the boxes. It had research and machine learning, and it was in the medical industry, and it seemed like something that was going to have a genuine impact on the line. Plus, the project had just launched, so it was a chance to get in at the start of something meaningful.

“One of the biggest issues with cerebral palsy is that it can't be diagnosed early enough. It’s usually after two years when the child is diagnosed and that’s too late for early intervention. So, the aim of the project is to create screening algorithms to assess the risk of cerebral palsy in children from soon after birth.”

Aaron took inspiration from his secondary school days in selecting the residency.

“I went to St Peter’s College Secondary School in Wexford and there was a boy in our year who had cerebral palsy that affected his entire body. Our school motto was ‘Disce Prodesse’ which means ‘learn to be useful’ and there was a Disce Prodesse school award every year. He was nominated for this award because he was so inspiring to the rest of us.  He was an inspiration for me to go this route.”

Part of the ELEVATE project aims to develop a screening process that could identify potential risks even before birth.

Aaron’s role on the project is vital. He is working with a small team to build algorithms that will analyse large amounts of data. 

“We’re looking at hundreds of variables. Everything from the mother’s lifestyle, background, ethnicity, to any complications during pregnancy. Then, after birth, we monitor babies in neonatal intensive care units and track their development over a five-year period, recording things like their general intelligence, speech, and physical development. My job is to build the software that can sift through all this data and help predict the risk of cerebral palsy.”

For Aaron, the personal motivations to use his skills and knowledge for good and his passion for software engineering make this an exciting challenge. 

“It’s amazing to think that the work we’re doing could eventually lead to cerebral palsy being diagnosed much earlier, to give a better chance for early intervention.”

As for his time in UL’s ISE programme, Aaron feels that it has prepared him well for his career plans. 

“ISE was always my first choice. The idea of getting a master's degree and two years of industry experience by the time you are 22 or 23 is such a huge advantage. And it’s so immersive, we have our own building, and all our lecturers are experts in their field. They’re not just teaching us how to work in a company, but how to start our own businesses.”

While Aaron is deeply committed to his current work on the ELEVATE project, his future ambitions are clear.

“I’d like to start my own company someday. I’m not sure exactly what that will look like yet, but I see myself in a leadership role.”

The ELEVATE project itself is still in its early stages.

“Right now, we’re setting up the tools to collect data from pregnancies, working with Karolinska Institute in Sweden to gather that information. We hope to create algorithms that will assess the risk of cerebral palsy while the child is still in the womb. If the risk is high, the next step will be further screening with another algorithm, and so on. It’s a multi-step process.”

For Aaron, though, the impact is personal.

“I think of my classmate from school sometimes, and it reminds me why I wanted to work on something like this. To be part of a project that could change lives for the better – that’s really what it’s all about.”