“Almost every day, I can say, ‘I learned something new today’”
In this video, postdoc Ece Özkan Elsen talks about her return to research, why she loves medical data science, and how she works to support other women in computer science.
After two years as a business consultant in industry, Ece Özkan Elsen found herself drawn back to research. During her doctorate, the electrical engineering graduate had worked with medical images, especially ultrasound physics and diagnosis. She was looking for a postdoc position that combined the familiar field with something new – and found it in the Medical Data Science Group at the Department of Computer Science, led by Professor Julia Vogt.
"Medical topics are very important to me," says Özkan Elsen. "It feels good to know that your work could help other people." Her research focuses on machine-learning algorithms that evaluate medical images, for example to help doctors diagnose diseases. "These algorithms must be comprehensible so that doctors can trust them," says the researcher.
In addition to her research, Özkan Elsen is involved with the Network of Women in Computer Science (CSNOW), which connects and supports women at the Department of Computer Science. "Unfortunately, technical careers and fields of study are often still seen as something for men," she says. "I myself was one of only a few women in my degree programme. That can be demotivating." Last but not least, the researcher wants to create better conditions for her own daughter – and to be a role model for her.