Dr. Muhammad Salman Haleem
RESEARCH STATEMENT
I have been involved in the field of Medical Imaging for the last couple of years. It combines and involves computer vision, image processing and machine learning. Both of my PhD as well as my Masters projects involves plethora usage of these techniques.
The PhD research project is based on analysis and automatic identification of retinal disease patterns. These patterns can be analysed using retinal scans obtained from fundus camera or Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope (SLO). Early detection and treatment of retinal eye diseases is critical to avoid preventable vision loss. Conventionally, retinal disease identification techniques are based on manual observations. By automating steps in the diagnostic process, more patients can be screened and more consistent diagnoses can be given. The image based disease patterns can be analysed using computer vision, image processing and machine learning techniques.
My master’s thesis was based on tumour localization in the prostate using signal processing techniques. These techniques were applied on Parametric Imaging involving Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI images. Parametric Imaging involves the extraction of parameters which determine the physiological state of the tissue. The determination of these parameters helps us to detect and localize tumours since physiological state of the malignant regions differs considerably from those of benign regions of the vasculature under consideration. Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging is a non-invasive quantitative method of investigating micro-vascular structure and function by tracking the pharmacokinetics of injected contrast agents as they pass through the vasculature system. The technique is sensitive to alterations in vascular permeability, extracellular extravascular and vascular volumes, and in blood flow.
Besides my undergraduate project involved speech recognition using time and frequency domain feature extraction and recognition techniques. Also, in parallel to my PhD project, I am also involved in automatic disease identification and severity level determination of wheat leaves