Saile Villegas

Saile Villegas graduated from the School of Computing where she studied her Masters degree - Advanced Computer Science (Data Analytics) MSc. After graduating she co-founded a MedTech company called Seeai, where she is now Director. Seeai develops solutions to solve the shortage of radiologists.

Choosing Leeds

Saile chose to study a Masters at the University of Leeds, mainly because of its reputation, more specifically the reputation of the School of Computing and its cutting-edge research activities. She said “The fact that the School of computing is one of the best in the UK was what caught my eye, at first. However, other factors influenced my decision. I wanted to enrol in a course that was focused on Data Analytics and I found exactly what I was looking for at the University of Leeds.”

She added “The taught modules such as Machine Learning, Data Science, Big Data Systems, Data mining and Text analytics, amongst others, were very appealing before enrolling and I can assure you that they did not disappoint.”

The taught modules such as Machine Learning, Data Science, Big Data Systems, Data mining and Text analytics, amongst others, were very appealing before enrolling and I can assure you that they did not disappoint.

Building a career in computing

After graduating Saile co-founded a MedTech company called Seeai with a fellow Leeds graduate. The company is based in the Nexus building, at the University of Leeds. After meeting during their studies they are now working on developing AI technology to help patients and doctors. She commented “As a first product, we are working on an AI that can automatically detect bone fractures in X-ray images. We have been developing our technology alongside NHS Scotland since 2019. Our technology can help reduce the workload of radiologists, speed up diagnostic times and improve patient care.”

During her studies at the university, Saile worked part-time at The Digital Education Service (DES) of the University of Leeds, as a Digital Analytics and Administration Officer. Her role was to provide evidence-based insights on the service’s portfolio of their online courses by analysing large and complex datasets. She said “This has been one of the key experiences that helped me develop my skills as I was able to put them into practice for the first time in the UK market.”

Life outside the classroom

Whilst studying Saile learnt to play ping-pong. She said “I had never played it before coming to the UK and I got hooked! The Student Union has a free to use ping-pong table and I used to go there to play almost every day after my studies.”

Projects at Leeds

I had the opportunity to work on a project with a local company, where I was able to apply the knowledge acquired during the MSc programme, to process and analyse healthcare data into a project that had a real-world impact.

During the later part of the course student are required to complete a research project. Saile said “We were allowed to choose amongst many different exciting projects for our final MSc Project.”

She added “I had the opportunity to work on a project with a local company, where I was able to apply the knowledge acquired during the MSc programme, to process and analyse healthcare data into a project that had a real-world impact.”

Advice from a Leeds alum

As a Leeds alum, Saile said “Studying Advanced Computer Science at the University of Leeds made me grow in my professional life. The courses, feedback, and support I received from the professors and academics at the University helped me boost my knowledge and skills. The course offering can be tailored to your needs and wishes. I recommend the programme to anybody interested in postgraduate education.”

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To find out more more about studying in the School of Computing, view our Masters courses.