The Dr. Gary J. Becker Young Investigator Award promotes excellence in academic research for members early in their careers. This award honors the founding editor of the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology (JVIR) and recognizes the importance of the young investigator in developing interventional solutions for the future.
Dania Daye, MD, PhD, will receive the Dr. Gary J. Becker Young Investigator Award at SIR 2024 during the Monday Plenary Session on March 25, at 10:30 a.m., MT. Read the full list of 2024 SIR Foundation research award recipients.
Can you tell us about your career path and background?
Dania Daye, MD, PhD: I’m currently an interventional radiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. I spend about 50–60% of my time in clinical practice and about 40–50% of my time in research. I do have a small lab at the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at MGH, and my lab focuses on using machine learning and computer vision for precision medicine. Specifically, I’m interested in the application of machine learning to personalize treatment decisions in IR patients. This work is what I received the Dr. Gary J. Becker Award for.
Can you tell us a bit more about your research?
DD: Right now there are only a handful of people in the United States doing research on artificial intelligence and IR. I believe that machine learning application is the next frontier. In the past 5–7 years, we’ve seen the application of AI to diagnostic radiology, but IR has been a bit slower to adopt some of those techniques. Because I am an IR with a background in machine learning—I did my PhD in bioengineering—I saw a gap and an opportunity to start pushing for new technology.
As a result, I began to focus more on the application of AI to IR. I like to think about it in three different buckets: applications in patient selection and pre-procedure planning; applications in intraprocedural support; and applications in predicting response to therapy—essentially using AI to identify the right treatment for the right patient to ensure the most optimal outcome.
We are just scratching the surface of what can be done in this space, but it’s a very exciting area to work in. We’re starting to see some applications emerge that may truly transform how we practice and care for our patients.
How will winning this award impact your research?
DD: Winning this award definitely provides a lot more visibility for AI work, which I think is so crucial. It validates the role of AI in IR. More practically, this support will enable me to travel to more conferences and give more presentations, like the session I’m participating in at SIR 2024 on the applications of machine learning.
These talks and presentations allow me to share, on a broader stage, some of the fascinating data emerging in the literature. For example, there’s software currently available on the market that can alert IRs about clinically significant pulmonary embolisms, which will create improved care coordination. The data coming out of this software shows very clearly that it is improving care by speeding up how quickly IRs are able to respond to these patients.
It remains to be seen if we’re going to be affecting patient outcomes, but I will not be surprised to see some data emerge in the next couple of years about some of these AI applications potentially improving patient outcomes.
What do you think is most important for IRs to understand about AI application to IR practices?
DD: AI is here to stay, and we must embrace it as a new technology that’s going to transform our field. Based on the data we’re seeing, it will likely have direct effects on patient outcomes, and that will likely lead us to a point where IRs who use AI will outpace those who don’t. So now is the time to start learning and embracing this technology.
What advice would you have to anyone considering applying for the Dr. Gary J. Becker award, or other SIR Foundation awards or grants?
DD: Two years ago, I was actually the lucky recipient of a SIR Foundation pilot grant that allowed me to develop and publish on another project about peer learning.
These grants are a great opportunity not only for funding and support but for gaining access to a community of like-minded individuals who will open the door to more collaboration and allow you to grow in your skillset and move toward your goal of being a physician, scientist and IR.
Don’t miss Dr. Daye’s session, “Artificial Intelligence in IR: What Every Interventional Radiologist Should Know,” co-coordinated with Julius Chapiro, MD, PhD, on Tuesday, March 26 at 8:30 a.m. MT.
