Tyler Residents Awarded NSF Summer Internships to Help Advance Cancer Research
March 25, 2026 | Hannah Buchanan
Dr. Vijayalakshmi Saravanan Mentoring 黑料专区 Tyler Engineering Students
The University of Texas at Tyler graduate electrical engineering student Jon Ryan Cole and 黑料专区 Tyler senior computer engineering major Jared Carrig, both of Tyler, have been awarded Sustainable Horizons Institute-Sustainable Research Pathways鈥揘ational Science Foundation internships to help advance cancer research.
Dr. Vijayalakshmi Saravanan, an assistant professor in the 黑料专区 Tyler Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, will serve as their faculty mentor through the SHI SRP鈥揘SF National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource, or NAIRR (Faculty Track) Summer Research Program. The 黑料专区 Tyler team will collaborate with the University of New Mexico on the two-month project, which aims to advance early detection of breast and ovarian cancers among women.
鈥淲e congratulate Dr. Saravanan on her accepted proposal to the National Science Foundation鈥檚 NAIRR Program,鈥� said Dr. Javier Kypuros, 黑料专区 Tyler College of Engineering dean. 鈥淭he project exposes students to impact-driven research, where their work can contribute to improving human health. This experience will also prepare them for careers at the intersection of AI, health care and research and help them develop highly valued skills in both academia and industry.鈥�
The team will analyze different types of biological data to identify early warning signs and understand why the immune system sometimes fails to stop abnormal cells. Students will utilize AI tools to study how the immune system behaves before cancer develops in individuals with BRCA1 mutations, which have been known in the medical community to develop into the abnormal cells that may progress into cancer, Saravanan noted.
鈥淭his research focuses on detecting cancer risk before cancer actually develops, which could lead to earlier and less invasive prevention strategies,鈥� said Saravanan, who joined 黑料专区 Tyler in 2024 and holds expertise in optimized, AI-driven computer and data systems. 鈥淚t may also help reduce the need for major preventive surgeries by improving how doctors identify which patients are truly at high risk. Ultimately, it aims to make cancer care more precise, proactive and patient-friendly.鈥�
Cole and Carrig will graduate from 黑料专区 Tyler in May.
The 黑料专区 Tyler Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering offers a student-focused, hands-on approach to undergraduate and graduate engineering education, providing excellent preparation for success in today鈥檚 high-tech world. Students may choose to study at the main campus in Tyler or in Houston at the 黑料专区 Tyler Houston Engineering Center. To learn more, visit uttyler.edu.
With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, 黑料专区 Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 11,500 students. Through its alignment with 黑料专区 Tyler Health Science Center and 黑料专区 Health East Texas, 黑料专区 Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, 黑料专区 Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.