Elan Somasundaram credits the rigorous instruction and emphasis on practical application he received in the College of Engineering for creating a strong foundation for success, profoundly impacting his career.
“At Oregon State University, I was not only educated but prepared for the real world,” Somasundaram said. “It instilled in me a relentless pursuit of knowledge and innovation.”
Somasundaram’s work involves medical physics and artificial intelligence, focusing on pediatric radiology. “By developing AI models for diagnosis and treatment, I am contributing to the transformation of clinical practices and patient care, setting new standards in the industry,” he said.
These new standards include a study on gonadal shields used in pediatric radiography, which led to revised guidelines set by the National Council on Radiation Protection, affecting practices globally.
Through the development and validation of automated deep learning algorithms, Somasundaram and his team can accurately quantify skeletal muscle mass in pediatric CT images. This is a major advance in the understanding of sarcopenia, a disease marked by progressive loss of muscle mass and strength, in children.
“My field is geared towards further integration of AI and machine learning with medical imaging technologies,” Somasundaram said. “This integration promises not only to enhance diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities but to revolutionize personalized medicine.”
- B.S., NUCLEAR ENGINEERING, 2012 M.ENG.
- INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING, 2021