Latest news with #Banahan
The Journal
12 hours ago
- Health
- The Journal
What will Ireland's first in-hospital Artificial Intelligence centre be used for?
THE MATER MISERICORDIAE University Hospital has launched Ireland's first ever in-hospital AI centre. The hub is developing and in some cases already using AI tools that will do everything from selecting patients for cancer clinical trials, to detecting fractures in scans, and even creating synthetic MRI scans from CT scans. The work on synthetic MRI scans is aimed at speeding up the diagnosis of spinal injuries that require treatment within an urgent timeframe. Paul Banahan, the Mater's Senior AI Research Fellow is leading the project. 'This is the first time something like this has been developed alongside medical professionals in a hospital setting, so I'm getting feedback in real time. It's already clear that this can be a real way to help with barriers to MRI scan access, especially in emergency out of hours settings,' he said. AI tools are already being used for fracture detection in the Mater, by assisting clinicians when it comes to reading scans. HSE funding needed Banahan's work has been chiefly funded by Enterprise Ireland. At the end of a two year project funded by the agency, the hospital then decided to keep him on. He believes that the HSE should be investing in AI research across clinical settings. 'Things are changing with the HSE and its interest in AI. There are a lot of people working in the health technology and AI sector, and funding is needed to help with that. I'm on my own doing a lot of this work in the hospitals, and the academics I work alongside want to know about a lot of specific points… it would be great to see a whole team of researchers in place,' he said. Advertisement Banahan said that the regulations around the use of AI in public and private healthcare settings needs to be developed, and fully understood by lawmakers and treatment providers. 'There's a lot of work that can be done with AI, but it needs to be done in the right way. 'There's research ethics and risk assessment, and it's still evolving. What we're launching here is the start of the process, and we want to be transparent in what we are doing,' he said. AI can help detect blocked arteries Prof Joe Galvin, Consultant Cardiologist at the Mater, is seeking to run a pilot project that will develop AI that can assist clinicians working with patients experiencing chest pain, coronary blockages, and arrhythmias. 'AI is most useful in medicine when it's used to help us interpret tests. In cardiology we have ECGs, they give us a lot of information about the heart. 'In emergency situations when someone comes into the hospital with chest pain we're trying to figure out: Is this their heart? Are they having a heart attack or not? AI can help us to do that,' he said. Prof Galvin explained that clinicians are looking for tell-tale signs of patients presenting with chest pain having a fully blocked artery. 'AI can look at an ECG and see things that human eyes cannot see because it has looked at so many scans in high resolution,' he said. The Mater doesn't have approval or funding yet to initiate the study, which will work as a pilot project for the entire country. Prof. Joe Galvin believes that the technology may potentially save lives. Erin Daly, the Operations Manager of the Pillar Centre, says that Ireland and other countries are at a 'tipping point' when it comes to the integration of AI into health treatments 'I think we are going to get to the stage where patients really are going to be looking to go to hospitals that are AI enabled. They are going to want to know that that double-check is there, and that safety net is there. That's the future,' she said. Daly added that it's essential that human expertise is still leading the way, however, at every part of the process. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Banahan backs Bath to continue treble bid with Challenge Cup glory
Matt Banahan is backing treble-chasing Bath to go all the way in this year's EPCR Challenge Cup. Johann van Graan's outfit travel to Hive Stadium to face Edinburgh on Saturday (live on Premier Sports 2 from 2.30pm) in a bid to reach the final in Cardiff and complete the second leg of what would be a historic hat-trick of trophies for the club. Former player Banahan is part of the Premier Sports team bringing every minute of live action and all the analysis for the four box office EPCR semi-finals this weekend and believes Edinburgh must be aware of the strength of Bath's pack, as well as the star-studded backline, if they have a chance of success. The Rec-based outfit powered past fellow Gallagher Premiership Rugby side Gloucester Rugby 61-26 in the quarter-finals to book their ticket to the Scottish capital after dispatching Pau 49-24 in the previous round, having dropped down from the Investec Champions Cup. Meanwhile, Edinburgh enjoyed a pair of home victories over South African sides Lions and Bulls to book their spot in the last four, but Banahan believes his former side will have no fear when they get north of the border. 'Bath are the favourites for me, both for this game and the competition,' he said. 'I think they were probably upset with how they started in the Investec Champions Cup and with the loss at Treviso, because I think apart from sides like Leinster, Toulouse and Bordeaux, their squad is probably up there as one of the best in Europe. 'I think they know their favourites for Europe and the Premiership. 'As they say, pressure is a privilege, and they are performing well. 'And when you watch them play, they play like a very confident team that backs themselves, no matter what. 'Sometimes they ship 20 points, but they back themselves to score 40. 'That is where you see great teams grow, and at the moment, they are the team that everybody is trying to catch up with. 'They know they have got the favourite tag, but they deserve it, and now it is time for them to go out and perform.' Bath currently sit top of the Gallagher Premiership and secured themselves a home semi-final with their win over Newcastle last weekend. This week is all about international club rugby action as the semi-finals of the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup take centre stage. 'Bath's forward pack is a huge weapon,' he continued. 'Edinburgh will need to nullify that if they are to have the edge in this game, and they must start the game well and manage it from there. 'The way Bath have got a lot of points this season is through sides trying to arm-wrestle their forwards, tiring out, and then at the end of the game, Bath bring on another five international-standard forwards. 'That is when teams open up the dam, and the water comes through, and the points flow. 'If Edinburgh want to be in the game, they have got to play smart at the start, move the ball around and not get caught out when the subs come on.' Premier Sports is the home of Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup with 80 games live throughout the competition including this weekend's semi-finals and both Finals on 23 and 24 May live from Principality Stadium, Cardiff. Visit: to sign-up for all the action from URC, Top 14, MLR, Japan League One and EPCR rugby at just £11.99 per month.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Confident Cokanasiga is edging back into England contention
Matt Banahan knows just how valuable a big winger can be in rugby, so it is little wonder that he has enjoyed Joe Cokanasiga's resurgence at Bath. Now 27, it is seven years since Cokanasiga first got capped by England two days after his 20th birthday but he has played only once under Steve Borthwick, in a World Cup warm-up match against Wales. It's a big night for Gallagher Premiership leaders Bath on Friday out in Pau (live on Premier Sports 2 from 7.55pm) as they now look to add an EPCR Challenge Cup crown to the Premiership Rugby Cup title they have already won this season. And Cokanasiga looks back to his very best as they chase an incredible treble. For long-time Bath winger Banahan, his performances are a reflection of just how strong his former club have been in recent weeks. He said: 'Bath have found an unbelievable flow, they are blowing teams away at the moment. 'If you look at Bath with the way they get wingers into space, I've seen big Joe carrying more in the last two or three months than I've ever seen him carry. He's in space, he's finding opportunities to carry in one-on-ones and he's a big unit. He gets them over the gain line. 'Since just before Christmas, he is finding the form that everyone thought was going to come years ago before the injuries." Star Chasing: Narrated by @LahiffMax 🎙️The #InvestecChampionsCup Round of 16 kicks off tomorrow night which means it's almost time for the world's best rugby players to shine bright on the big stage once again 🌟 — Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) April 3, 2025 Banahan, who is part of the Scotland women's coaching set-up, is a key member of the Premier Sports punditry team this weekend as international club rugby's knockout action returns. With 12 live EPCR games this weekend, it's wall-to-wall rugby on the UK broadcaster, and they have added further global competitions to their offering in the form of Japan's JLR1 and USA's Major League Rugby. The two leagues will be shown as part of a new 24/7 rugby channel, Premier Sports Rugby, while the broadcaster will now host more than 400 live rugby games every season from competitions across 11 rugby nations. But this weekend is all about international club rugby with the return of the EPCR Challenge Cup and Investec Champions Cup. Banahan will do the West Country double, also covering another of his former clubs, Gloucester, as they also travel to France to take on a Montpellier team featuring the likes of Billy Vunipola and Sam Simmonds. With Tomos Williams going viral at the weekend with his stunning no-look try assist in the Cherry & Whites' big win over Bristol Bears, Banahan believes he has put himself right back into the conversation for British & Irish Lions selection. And for Banahan, the decision over which scrum-halves join Leinster and Ireland's Jamison Gibson-Park may be one of the hardest for Andy Farrell, with Northampton Saints' Alex Mitchell and Toulon's Scotland international Ben White also in fine form. Banahan added: 'There is an interesting question at nine. Jamison Gibson-Park is there, but then Tomos Williams is finding a bit of form and you have Alex Mitchell for England. "There's a question of squad balance, is he going to take four scrum-halves or three? If it's three, who misses out of the four scrum-halves? Does Ben White miss out because he's in France, even though he is playing for Scotland? 'Gibson-Park is a shoo-in, he's been the in-form nine for years and I don't think anyone will jump him. "We don't know what the contracts are like with the French clubs, if the clubs will release them straightaway, but scrum-half and hooker are the big calls for me.'
