AI for Cervical Cancer Detection: UNM PhD Student Secures Prestigious 2026 Grant

Universitas Nusa Mandiri (UNM), as a Digital Business Campus, has once again affirmed its role in innovative technology-based research. This time, a proud achievement comes from the Informatics Doctoral Programme, where one of its students, Esron Rikardo Nainggolan, M.Kom, has secured funding for the Current Year Doctoral Dissertation Research Grant. This competitive grant was obtained through a proposal titled “Integration of Segmentation-Free Convolutional Neural Networks and Feature Interpretation for Classification of Whole Slide Image Cervical Cytology”, which presents an artificial intelligence (AI)-based solution to improve the accuracy of early cervical cancer detection. The research is driven by the urgent need for faster, more accurate, and easily interpretable diagnostic methods for medical personnel. Using a Segmentation-Free Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) approach combined with feature interpretation techniques, Esron offers an innovation that avoids complex image segmentation processes while enhancing the transparency of analysis results. The research is supervised by UNM Rector Prof Dr Dwiza Riana along with Dr Nita Merlina, who guide the development to ensure scientific contributions as well as tangible impacts in the field of digital health. Prof Dwiza expressed her appreciation. “This success demonstrates that AI-based research developed at UNM is capable of addressing real societal problems. We continue to encourage the birth of innovations that are not only academically excellent but also applicable and have broad impacts,” she stated in a comment quoted on Sunday (26/4/2026). Meanwhile, Esron revealed that this research is a strategic step to support technology-based health service transformation. “Through this research, I aim to present a cervical cancer detection solution that is faster, more accurate, and easy for medical personnel to use, thereby helping to improve the quality of diagnosis and patient care,” he explained. The research is conducted in the academic environment of UNM with support from research facilities and strong scientific collaborations. Its final results are expected to be implemented in digital health systems and even potentially developed into applications that support medical personnel in the field. This achievement further strengthens UNM’s position as an institution consistently promoting leading research in the field of technology, particularly AI in the health sector.