UL graduate Gauri Vaidya earns a spot among Ireland’s top tech innovators for AI research

UL graduate Gauri Vaidya earns her a spot among Ireland’s top tech innovators for AI research

Healthcare tech innovator and rising star Gauri Vaidya has been conferred with a PhD in Artificial Intelligence at University of Limerick

Gauri Vaidya is one of 3,678 new graduates celebrated at University of Limerick as part of the 2025 Autumn Conferring Ceremonies.

Originally from Aurangabad, India, Gauri graduated almost eight years after being originally inspired by her mentor in India to move to Ireland to pursue a career in academia.

Recently featured in the Business Post as one of their 30 under 30 top tech innovators, Gauri was commended for her innovative approach to machine learning research in healthcare.

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Her PhD, awarded by UL’s Faculty of Science and Engineering, focused on reducing the carbon footprint of machine learning algorithms. It involved working on several healthcare collaborations, including a project to streamline hospital emergency departments, as well as working with AI in cancer prediction scenarios.

One of the largest healthcare collaborations she has worked on during her time at UL involved building a digital twin of University Hospital Limerick (UHL).

Speaking about the project, Gauri explained, “The project was focused on understanding the patterns and all the loopholes in the patient pathways in the emergency department in UHL.”

“The target was to find out how we can predict scenarios that would be happening there and be prepared for that in advance. For example, predicting the number of beds required or the number of hospital staff required for the day, and so on,” she added.

While studying computer science at Government College of Engineering Aurangabad in India, Gauri met Dr Meghana Kshirsagar. Dr Kshirsagar would go on to mentor her throughout her academic career, even after moving to Limerick, to take up a postdoc position working with Professor Conor Ryan in UL’s Department of Computer Science and Information Systems.

Dr Kshirsagar and Professor Ryan encouraged Gauri to apply for a PhD at UL in her final year of undergraduate studies. Soon after, she moved to Limerick and began her PhD programme under their joint supervision in 2021.

Professor Ryan first met Gauri when she was working on research collaborations with UL remotely from India, “even then her talent and curiosity stood out”, he recalled.

“Watching her grow over the years into a confident and accomplished researcher has been a real privilege. She combines technical ability with thoughtfulness and kindness, and it has been wonderful to see her find her own voice as a scientist”, added Professor Ryan.

Since their first meeting in India, Gauri and Dr Kshirsagar have shared a special connection, a mentorship that has since transcended international borders and nurtured a lasting family bond.

Reflecting on the impact that Dr Kshirsagar has had on her life, Gauri said: “She has been a constant inspiration to me – as a researcher, an academic, and as a person. To put it simply, she’s the one who showed me that we can dream big and be courageous enough to pursue those dreams, while also reminding me of the importance of kindness along the way.”

“She has seen potential in me even beyond what I saw in myself, and shaped me in such a beautiful way, showing me what a true lifelong mentor really means. She’s not only my supervisor, but I have another family here,” she added.

Celebrating her achievement on the day, Dr Kshirsagar said: “From the very beginning, Gauri stood out for her brilliance, resilience, and relentless curiosity. She embodies ambition, collaboration, and excellence, with a rare ability to uplift everyone around her.

“Her mentorship of graduate students and her role as a teaching assistant across several of my modules left a lasting impact. Some students challenge you, some teach you – Gauri did both. She reminded me why I love this work. Supervising her through her PhD was not just a privilege, it was a joy,” she added.

Dr Kshirsagar was not Gauri’s only academic influence. Growing up, she was exposed to many strong female educators; her mother and both her paternal and maternal grandmothers were all teachers, and she has always looked to them for inspiration.

Reflecting on her own experience of teaching during her PhD, Gauri said: “Now when I look go and look back, it feels like maybe it was always in the genes or the blood, I absolutely love being around students.”

“I really got to experience teaching closely. When I was little, I often went with my mother to school. What struck me most was seeing how much her teaching changed her students,” said Gauri.

“That kind of transformation, when I was young, left a lasting impression on me, showing me how deeply teaching can touch someone’s life,” she added.

Gauri has brought her love of teaching back to India, in a full-circle moment, when she was given the opportunity to deliver a three-day workshop to students at her alma mater in 2024.

She will be continuing her academic career in UL for the foreseeable future as she has recently taken up a position as a Postdoctoral Researcher with the National Kidney Disease Surveillance System (NKDSS), based in UL’s School of Medicine.

The new role is part of the NKDSS key national initiative and is being led by Professor Austin Stack, Director of the NKDSS at UL’s School of Medicine and Consultant Nephrologist, University Hospital Limerick.

In this postdoc role, Gauri will be working with a team of researchers applying advanced data analysis and machine learning to better understand the burden and impact of chronic kidney disease in Ireland, and to evaluate prevention strategies that will lead to better outcomes for patients.

Imparting some advice for the next generation, Gauri said, “I believe that while technology is advancing rapidly, the best way forward is to befriend it rather than fear it.

“Every advancement still needs the creativity, empathy, and critical thinking that only people can bring. Human involvement will always remain at the heart of technological progress.

“To the younger generation, and especially young women, my advice would be to embrace digital technologies with confidence and curiosity. We need more women in tech and leadership roles. Our vision, decision-making skills, empathy, and ability to balance perspectives are essential for shaping a more inclusive and impactful future in technology,” she added.