A Research Team Including Dr. Mohammed Abusaif from the College of Medicine Secures Third Place in the Eye Hackathon 2026
Written by: Naif Al-Fuhaid
Dr. Mohammed Majed Abusaif, Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the College of Medicine, University, won an award at the Eye Hackathon 2026 as part of a multidisciplinary research team for a project that utilized artificial intelligence tools to analyze data from corneal transplantation procedures. The project involved a large-scale retrospective study of data from approximately 3,000 patients who underwent corneal transplantation procedures over a period of 12 years through a review of medical records and relevant clinical details, with the aim of extracting research findings that contribute to the development of clinical practice in ophthalmology; the team achieved third place among 24 competing teams after completing an in-depth clinical research project within three actual working days, utilizing artificial intelligence technologies, following a preparatory phase that included reviewing approvals and preparing the data required for the research. The team included a number of physicians and consultants, along with specialists in engineering and technical fields, and relied in implementing the project on analyzing medical data and accelerating the stages of the research process using artificial intelligence tools and technologies.
This came as part of the Eye Hackathon 2026, organized by King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh from October 1 to 3, 2026, with the aim of accelerating the implementation cycle of ophthalmology research through the responsible use of artificial intelligence tools in developing ideas, analyzing data, designing studies, and preparing scientific manuscripts for publication in accordance with standards of privacy, transparency, and scientific integrity. This achievement underscores the importance of integration between medical expertise and engineering and technical disciplines in advancing clinical research and utilizing health data.
