Professor Sandra Avila, from Unicamp's Computing Institute (IC), was chosen to represent Brazil at the Young Scientists Forum of the grouping of countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS). The Forum reaches its fifth edition in 2020, bringing together prominent researchers from the five countries with the aim of debating societal challenges and how to solve them through research and innovation. Sandra was nominated by the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC) and will represent Brazil in the area of Artificial Intelligence.
In the fifth edition of the event, which takes place in September, three thematic axes were chosen for scientists to discuss: Ecology; Materials Sciences and Artificial Intelligence. For each axis, five researchers are chosen, one from each BRICS country.
Sandra highlights that she welcomed the news of her nomination and choice for the Artificial Intelligence area. “I was very happy and I also felt the responsibility of representing other people, so I will try to represent in the best way possible. We have a lot of innovation happening, a lot of research, there will be no shortage of things to say about what we are developing here. Nobody achieves anything alone. So, if I'm representing Brazil in the BRICS it's because I had and still have excellent people by my side, both on the family and professional side. I am extremely grateful and honored for this.”
She comments that, in the Artificial Intelligence axis, eight relevant points will be discussed among colleagues. “In healthcare, which is the area I work in, one of the topics is artificial intelligence in this area, how to improve processes and diagnoses,” she says. One of the researches the professor is currently dedicated to is skin cancer diagnoses. Together with other colleagues, Sandra developed a from software which, based on images of skin lesions, can make an accurate diagnosis.
Furthermore, the topics in general, according to Sandra, are of great interest and have an interconnection with what is being carried out in Brazil in terms of research. “A lot of what I'm seeing is in these topics, both from a technical and application point of view. In the area of agriculture, for example, there is concern about how we are going to produce food more cheaply and more sustainably, with energy savings and on a large scale. Another point is related to fake news”, she notes.
The professor, who is also dedicated to the greater inclusion of women in the areas of technology and computing, as in incentives for girls in the field of programming, also comments on the importance of female representation at the event. “Many women and fellow scientists made a point of talking about the importance of having a woman representing Brazil when they found out about my nomination. The fact of being there at the event can show that they can be there too. This is very relevant too,” she notes.
