Ipek Oruc

Dr. Ipek Oruc is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences at the University of British Columbia, leading the NOVA Lab. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on applying computational techniques, AI, and data science to advance visual health, particularly in developing low-cost diagnostic tools for retinal imaging and rehabilitation strategies for eye/brain disorders. Her work emphasizes equity in healthcare access for underserved communities.

Research interests include AI-driven medical diagnostics, neuroimaging analysis, visual perception mechanisms, and understanding face processing deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The lab’s recent studies highlight atypical facial exposure patterns in ASD and novel retinal biomarker discovery using deep learning. Current projects aim to democratize AI-based healthcare through virtual health integration.

Key achievements include a HIFI Award (2024) for Alzheimer’s detection research and a Killam Teaching Award (2024) for Todd Kamensek. The lab collaborates widely, with postdoctoral fellows (e.g., Gulce Ozturan) and doctoral candidates (e.g., Todd Kamensek, Parsa Delavari) advancing projects in AI ethics, small-data classification, and neuroimaging.

NOVA Lab locations include the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre (Vancouver General Hospital), with ongoing clinical partnerships. Research outputs span 80+ peer-reviewed articles, emphasizing translational applications of AI in vision science and neurology.