Navy Veteran Wins National Prize for AI Pneumonia Detection System
Shereiff Garrett, who earned a bachelor's degree in computer science from Fayetteville State University this month, won first place at a national research competition for developing an AI system that detects pneumonia in children's X-rays.
Garrett took the top prize in the Computer Science and Information Management oral presentation division at the Emerging Researchers National Conference in Atlanta in March. The competition, hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Science Foundation, drew 400 presentations from more than 700 participants.
Personal Motivation Shaped the Research
Garrett's younger brother's severe pneumonia infection drove her to explore whether AI could speed up diagnosis and treatment. She worked with mentors Chandra Adhikari, Ph.D., and Bhoj Gautam, Ph.D., to build the project while completing her degree.
Pneumonia kills roughly 2.5 million people globally each year. In the United States, more than 40,000 patients die from it annually, with infants, young children under five, and adults over 65 facing the highest risk.
"Early identification can truly make a difference," Garrett said. "Having that detection capability could save lives."
From Military Service to Medical AI
Garrett served three years in the Navy as a gas turbine mechanic and later worked as a truck driver before returning to school. A podcast inspired her to pursue computer science.
In 2013, while serving on the USS Chancellorsville, Garrett received a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for her role in responding to a rogue drone incident that damaged the ship. She will begin a doctoral computer science program at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore this fall, focusing on medical AI applications.
Garrett emphasized that she wanted to make her technical work accessible to others. "I've always loved stories," she said. "If I share my work as a story, maybe people will be able to follow along and truly understand."
Her research demonstrates how practical AI for Healthcare applications address real clinical problems. Those interested in similar work may benefit from exploring AI Research Courses that cover medical diagnostics and machine learning applications.
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