Breast cancer screening with mammography: it is worth the squeeze in the AI era? by Professor Sarah Lewis

For decades, mammography has been the cornerstone of breast cancer screening, helping to detect cancers early and save lives. But as artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly enters healthcare, can we do even better? This talk explores how AI is transforming breast screening by assisting radiologists to find cancers earlier, reduce unnecessary recalls, and improve efficiency in busy screening programs. Drawing on real-world research and clinical studies, this talk examines the benefits, challenges, and future of AI-enabled screening. For women, healthcare providers, and policymakers alike, the question is no longer whether AI belongs in breast screening, but how best to harness its potential."

Professor Lewis is a senior career academic and researcher, a registered diagnostic radiographer, and the inaugural Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health at Western Sydney University. Previously, she had a distinguished academic career in the Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney as Associate Dean Research Performance and Head of Medical Imaging Sciences. Professor Sarah Lewis holds research, education and health practitioner qualifications, with a PhD in Medical Imaging, a Master of Education with Distinction and a Bachelor of Applied Science (Diagnostic Radiography) Honours. A passionate clinician and educator, her work has contributed significantly to the advancement of national health workforce systems, particularly in areas of accreditation and registration standards. Her work is cited in more than 50 countries, she has published over 210 peer-reviewed manuscripts and attracted over $17 million dollars in competitive research funding through prestigious schemes like the NHMRC, the National Breast Cancer Foundation and the Australian Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing. A breast cancer survivor herself, she is a regular media commentator and advocate for cancer research.

Location: PC-01.7.78 (LS) Peter Shergold Building